1001 Albums Summary

+Great Arrangements +Creative Song structures +Accessible prog rock -Not as daring, or as innovative as other prog rock albums.

Like a lot of Bowie’s later LPs - I like it, it’s sonically solid, and it has a few standouts. But I find it bland and uninventive in a lot of places. I don’t mind it being self indulgent (he’s one of the few artists out there who has earned it for sure), but his death definitely elevated this release.

This a really solid LP. The variety of soft rock, folk, and country - while keeping the atmosphere as tight as it is - is very impressive. I’m also addicted to a lot of the guitar licks and riffs throughout. These guys seemed to have everything figured out for a debut album.

I’m not overly familiar with this band; only a track here or there. I think this is one of the better LP’s that fuse rock and electronic together. One never seems to outshine the other, so they’ve struck that perfect balance. The ethereal ballads help to keep it grounded, and they are really good. Karen O’s voice is also phenomenal and seems to be fairly versatile. I’ll definitely check out more of their discography in the future. Really good album.

I think there’s definitely some highlights to be found here; but the musicality was lacking to the point to where, at times, tracks just sort of blended into each other. It’s a pleasant listen, for sure. I just think this is the kind of album that you’ll find hearing as background music in a music shop, more than something you’ll go out of your way to listen to. So while it’s not a bad LP, it’s also not a very interesting one.

I don’t personally see the appeal of Elvis, and I never have. I understand his cultural impact for the time - but I never connected with much of the material he sang. He was a mere performer, and I think others did rock n’ roll better before his time, during his time, and after his time. This LP did not change my view on it. It’s well produced, and there isn’t any particularly bad songs on it. It’s just standard ass Elvis to me. The whole time I listened to it, I kept thinking of other artists who could probably do these songs more justice; with the exception of a couple of tracks.

Not usually the kind of album I go out of my way to listen to, but I’m glad I did. Lyrically it’s a really solid LP, and Joni’s voice sounds great; her voice is technically great, yet still has a raw honest edge to it. I just feel the overall album is a bit of a slog to get through. It’s a very somber record. But from a musicality standpoint it sort of loses its momentum with me as it goes on. I like variety in my LP’s, and very few genres can hold my interest unless there’s a bunch of different flavours thrown in the mix. I give this album a 3 - but it’s a high 3.

I’m no fan of Oasis at all. During the big “Oasis or Blur?” debate of the 90’s - I had my feet firmly in the camp of Blur. That’s still the case, even though nobody talks about it anymore. I find Oasis limited as musicians, Liam’s voice, while unique, isn’t the best. Noel’s songwriting can be fairly derivative of The Beatles and his guitar playing doesn’t really bring anything new to the table. But I can’t really deny this album is a perfect work to represent the Britpop movement that swept the world in the 90’s; and it has also aged incredibly gracefully. The pop sensibility on display is actually pretty astounding. And almost every track is an absolute banger to the point you could tell someone who hasn’t listened to Oasis that this is a greatest hits compilation and they’d believe you. So as I said - I’m no fan of this band whatsoever. But I’m not going to deny a fantastic LP when I hear one. In this 1001 (or 1089) album challenge, ‘…Morning Glory’ gets my first perfect 5/5 rating.

The best way I can describe this LP is like walking into an ice cream shop. You can probably find whatever flavour you’re looking for, it’s just impressive that the flavour you’re looking for is available. There’s a base of funk to every track. But every track has a different layer. Low-fi, hard rock, pop, acoustic, to borderline carribean. And it all effortlessly blends in together to the point you almost feel like you’re on a trippy musical journey. I also love how everything feels loose. There’s almost an intentional disconnect between the music and vocals that just somehow works here. It has a defiant post-punk feel to it. Really solid LP.

This is an absolutely perfect LP. The musicianship is top notch, the melodies are addictive, the production is slick, the tight tracklist leaves you satisfied yet wanting more, and the vocals are just the chefs kiss on top of it all. From the light opener, to the string of hits (Dreams, Don't Stop, Go Your Own Way), stopping by a beautiful ballad (Songbird), to a second half that starts with the infamous 'The Chain' and ending it all with four more tracks that could have easily been hit singles, as well. It certainly feels like a band at their absolute creative peak, yet we all know the problems that plagued them at the time. It sounds cliche to say, but the fact they were able to come out with this album despite everything is absolutely astounding. I also feel like giving it a 5 is a bit cliche. I also don't really care if it is; because 'Rumours' deserves it.

I'm honestly never sure how to rate or review a live album. They're never really on my list when I want to listen to an artist's discography. This is a fine album? The musicianship is pretty damn tight, the performances definitely feel energetic, and the tracklist flows really nicely. I suppose your opinion on this LP will simply depend on how big of a Thin Lizzy fan you are; and I wouldn't class myself as a big fan. So if you're a big fan, this would probably be an easy 5. If not, it will teeter around the 3-4 mark. For me, it's a 3. If parts of this album came on while I was driving, I wouldn't complain. But I wouldn't be turning the volume up in excitement, y'know? I appreciate Thin Lizzy to at least some degree, they were just never really up my alley. However, if you were looking for a good introduction to the band this would actually be a good starting point.

This is one fun ass LP. It's classic, yet modern. It's rock 'n' roll, yet very pop in places. It's rough and grungy, yet has slick production. It feels like Jack White wears his heart on his sleeve, but has no problem moulding it into something that fits the band. My knowledge of this band has been strictly what the radio and/or television has presented me with over the years. So I had a rough idea of the sound of 'The White Stripes’. But I didn't expect an entire album to surprise me with its versatility and depth. I often hear about the genius of Jack White; so it's nice to finally experience at least a taste of it here. I may just dig deeper into this discography.

I’ll preface this by saying I was never a fan of Slade. If I could describe this LP in one word, it would be ‘inoffensive’ (from a musical perspective), or ‘outdated’. It simply feels like a product of its time and nothing really strikes me as a standout throughout the tracklist. The band seem to be straddling a fine line between what I now consider ‘grandad rock’ (like Status Quo), and early glam rock (but they’re just barely holding onto that one in this album). I found Holder’s vocals to be irritating, repetitive, and try-hard. The musicianship feels uninventive. And most of the songs were, for lack of a better term, boring. The whole album just lacks originality. I don’t feel like there’s anything substantial to set Slade apart from other bands around that era - and there were a lot of great bands who were in their absolute prime then. In short - this album is totally forgettable and I think there is a vast amount of similar works that are more deserving of a spotlight.

There’s a certain charm to early 90’s pop punk. It’s not as slick and glossy as it became in the early 2000’s, and it seemed to be filled with bands that - despite their success - didn’t seem to care. The Offspring’s ‘Smash’ really captures the era it was released in. It’s raw. It’s energetic. It’s naive. It’s angsty. It’s dumb. It’s smart. And it’s just fun. The heavy riffs are addictive. The lyrics resonate with a lot of us who were young when this was released. And I would rank it high enough with a lot of early pop punk LP’s. A must listen to any fan of the genre.

Wow. Where to even begin describing this LP? From the haunting, ethereal title track with its dark atmosphere and soulful guitar playing, down to its final song ‘Wars of Armageddon’ with its psychedelic backdrop to a brilliant sound collage; this album is a masterpiece. From a musical standpoint you’re getting R&B, soul, psychedelic rock, hard rock, funk, folk, rock ‘n’ roll, to hints of prog rock. All fused together to create this strange, yet endearing selection of 7 songs. It takes you on this eclectic journey with absolutely no apologies; and I love it. While this was released well, well before my time. Lyrically it feels like an honest critique on society at the time. Its simple lyrics are humble, yet raw and undeniable; topping its diverse explosion of genres with a layer of punk rock attitude. ‘Maggot Brain’ is an absolutely mind blowing album. When this came up on the list I listened to it another 2 times throughout the day because it’s just that damn good. Easy 5/5.

I don’t think ‘Hybrid Theory’ is an egregiously bad album. I actually think the band have some good ideas here, and I think they knew the kind of nu metal/hip hop sound they were going for from the beginning. It’s just poorly executed overall. Lyrically, the songs are amateur and feel like there's no conviction behind them. As if they were looking around the scene at the time to see what sells and went all in with it. While the hip hop elements feel like the kind of stuff you would come up with when you naively thought you were an aspiring rapper in your pre-teen years. And from a musical standpoint there really isn’t much that stands out. The riffs feel extremely basic, horribly distorted (a cliche of many nu metal bands back then), and uninventive; and a lot of tracks have a grandiose feel to them, but lack any real memorable punch to help them along. If you do even a basic scan of the nu metal scene in the early 2000’s you would find a plethora of bands who were more interesting, and far less concerned with being radio friendly, at the time. In my opinion I think ‘Hybrid Theory’ hasn’t aged well. It was overrated then, and it is probably more overrated now.

I wonder if it is just a region thing, but this album was not on any music streaming service available to me. So I had to find this one on YouTube; and I find it a shame because I would love to have it in my library. Perhaps I'll hunt down the physical LP? This is the one of the reasons I started this whole thing: I wanted to force myself into listening to a diverse selection of music. But I also wanted to discover hidden gems that I otherwise would have went my entire life not knowing about. I wasn't familiar with this band at all. Their origin story is quite interesting and unique, which I think is completely projected on this album. They seemed to be very much a product of their era, yet had a vision that was totally ahead of its time. The psychedelic elements are straight out of the late 60's, but their punk rock elements were almost an entire decade too soon. I can understand why 'Black Monk Time' isn't on some bestseller list, but I'm also retroactively frustrated about it. This is a pure record. It is raw, it is primitive, it is daring (for its time), and the world of music took considerable time catching up to it. This is definitely a band that deserve a lot more credit than they are getting. A must listen if you like psychedelic rock. But also a must listen if you like punk in its most stripped back form.

I won’t even beat around the bush here - I’m a huge John Lennon fan. So when this album popped up I already knew what I thought of it, having listened to it more times than I can count. After all the bells and whistles that came with producing Beatles records, John certainly took his own path as the band were on their way to breaking up. His experimental albums with Yoko (Unfinished Music Vol. 1 & 2, Wedding Album) were by no means chart topping hits, but it certainly showed that John wasn’t too concerned about what the public thought of his work at the time. That was true even when he released ‘John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band’. Make no mistake, this isn’t a very radio friendly LP. And upon its release (at least from what I have read), it wasn’t all that well received from critics; and its reputation only grew over the years and decades that followed. Part of it you could attribute to critics licking their lips in excitement to dissect any solo Beatles effort. While another part you could definitely attribute it to is the fact that 'Plastic Ono Band' was just so vastly different from anything he did with The Beatles. I always refer to this as Lennon’s “therapy” album. In the latter half of The Beatles time, John’s lyrics were getting a LOT more introspective in general. But with ‘Plastic Ono Band’ it feels like he completely opens the curtain to invite the listener in. This is him at his most angry. At his most sad. And in his most vulnerable state. This LP is essentially the chronicles of a man who found himself at a mental low point presenting us with his journey of self realization through some hard self reflection; and letting us hear how he views society at large. While from a music and production standpoint things are kept quite simple as a means to let the lyrics shine, I do also feel the simplicity somehow adds to the overall mood. Particularly the distorted, grungy guitar littered throughout the tracklist. But it's not without moments of clean acoustic songs and piano ballads. When you do listen to this LP - I recommend the version that has the three bonus tracks: Give Peace a Chance, Cold Turkey, and Instant Karma! (We All Shine On). These were singles that did not appear on any of his studio albums and they are well worth your time.

I remember the times my dad introduced me to his record collection when I was a kid. He had a fair chunk of T. Rex in there. I enjoyed nearly everything he introduced me to, but it's almost like a I hit a brick wall when he played anything from this band. I found nothing interesting there. However, they have made their way onto my radar again with this randomised list. So I genuinely gave ‘em another shot and it turns out I’m still not a fan as I straight up found this LP completely boring. There’s very little creativity on display in a musical sense, and virtually no sense of energy in many of the songs throughout the tracklist. The few times a bit of experimentation is thrown in it adds almost nothing to it. I don't know what it is, but outside of the chorus on the big hit 'Get It On' (or 'Bang A Gong'), there is almost no enthusiasm behind the instruments whatsoever. Bolan's vocals also leave a lot to be desired. It even feels like he is singing without any true confidence; as if he is holding himself back on purpose to get that 'cool cat' effect. It's frustrating to listen to. I wouldn't really mind any of this as much if the band actually had something substantial to say to balance things out; but they don't. Perhaps I have just learned, through this list so far, that I'm simply not a fan of the glam rock genre, given my previous rating for a Slade album. Because similar to that Slade album 'Electric Warrior' has aged like milk in comparison to a lot of the fine wine from the stacked era of the 70's.

I’m actually very surprised by how much I enjoyed this album. George Michael wasn’t someone I would typically listen to when he was frequently on MTV - as I swung more into rock territory (and boy, was this man on MTV quite a lot back then). Of course, we all know the hit ‘Freedom’. But it feels like an outlier here; as if this was to get the radio hit out of the way because this is more of an acoustic/soul LP. Not that ‘Freedom’ is bad, it’s actually a banger. It’s just that there is so much more to the tracklist. George Michael legitimately has a great voice. His control was on point, he had a soothing tone, and his range was actually quite surprising. The best example of this is on the phenomenal cover of Stevie Wonder’s ‘They Won’t Go When I Go’. George’s lyrics are quite introspective, well written, and the man could pen a love song. He dabbles a little in politics, emotion dissection, and desperation. It’s surprisingly deep for someone I knew only for his solo and Wham! hits. He had a strong sense of melody to go with all this, too. I honestly couldn’t really find much to criticise. While I still wouldn’t consider myself an overall fan of George Michael’s work, I would recommend this to any fan of pop/acoustic music.

This album made me realise I do not listen to enough ska. The Specials are a band I was 100% familiar with, yet never went out of my listen to. So kudos to this list for bringing them right back to my attention again. The whole LP is an explosion of fantastic originals and covers, punk lyricism, ska, rock, reggae, and a sprinkle of old school rock ‘n’ roll. Musically it’s a really fun tracklist filled with addictive melodies and infectious bass lines. The raw vocals of Terry Hall only add to its overall character - as he walks a fine line between British flavoured fun and a take-no-bullshit attitude. Along with its diverse musical elements, ‘The Specials’ is also a commentary on society at large at the time; as if it is a bit of a time capsule of its own standing up as part of a movement against the rise of the right wing in the late 70’s. Which in turn makes it a fairly relevant record in today’s climate, as well (as they say, the more things change, the more things stay the same). There is no subtlety whatsoever in their observations here, and it only helps to elevate the album, in my opinion. I gave this around two listens today, as I wasn’t quite sure how to rate it. It was teetering between a 4 and a 5. But I ultimately decided on a 4; as I feel some tracks bog the record down just a little bit (‘Blank Expression’, and the overly long ‘Too Much Too Young’). Overall, however, I absolutely consider this a must listen for anybody.

I always find double albums interesting. When a band challenges themselves to pour their material across two discs for a studio release it usually goes one of two ways. It's either going to be a magnum opus, or it's going to be a slog to get through. Some of my favourites happen to be double LP's (the absolutely crazy Beatles' 'White Album', and the masterful Pink Floyd's 'The Wall'). While others I find to be a struggle and musically stretched very thin (The Who's 'Tommy' or the Chilli Peppers' 'Stadium Arcadium'). Where does Fleetwood Mac's huge follow up to 'Rumours' stand? Somewhere in the middle. It is a good record overall, However it also struggles to keep its own momentum going. I keep seeing 'Tusk' compared to other punk albums around the time. But Fleetwood Mac's sound and lyricism is far too polished and light to compare, in my opinion. It works in their favour when it's a tight record like 'Rumours', where the tracklist can somewhat flow nicely. Not so much here on 'Tusk', where they're throwing different ideas at the wall and everything feels much more loose. It feels like they took more inspiration from the Beach Boys' 'Smiley Smile' moreso than punk albums at the time, where it's more a collage of ideas rather than a whole piece of work. Putting all of that aside, though, there is some gems in the 20 songs on offer, particularly the ballads. Over & Over, Sara, Storms, Never Make Me Cry, Beautiful Child are phenomenal tracks and well worth listening to on their own - vocals, melodies, and lyrics are absolutely on point. While on the other end most of the faster rock/pop songs are good, even if a lot of them are largely forgettable; although some of the experimentation should be appreciated. I know this album has some acclaim to it. To me, though, had they condensed the tracklist down and focused on tidying some things up production-wise, this probably would have been (personally) ranked among the band's best work. As it is, 'Tusk' is simply a 'good' album, lacking some focus, with some percentage of it having standouts.

I really enjoyed this album. It was like if The Cure from the late 80’s had a child with Depeche Mode. You can hear, pretty clearly, the influence these guys had on the music landscape. The orchestral arrangements are fantastic, and so easy on the ears with fitting mystical lyrics to fit like a glove. It's atmospheric, it's ethereal in nature, and artistic yet still accessible. Ian McCulloch's vocals are stellar here, as well. He has a raw, dark, and cool feel to his voice that he seems to effortlessly pull off. Everything here just seems to click between the elements so well. There’s catchy pop/rock songs to help keep an average listener’s attention as it weaves you around different tempos and moods. Standout tracks for me include: Nocturnal Me, Crystal Days, The Killing Moon, and Ocean Waves. I would highly recommend this album.

With elements of alternative rock - filled with raw energy, vocals bordering on flavours of Bjork and Kate Bush - still ultimately making it her own voice, and anti-war messages paired with societal commentary: ‘Let England Shake’ is an experience I don’t think comes along very often. The music and production has layers of surprising complexity, but nothing that makes things inaccessible. It only adds to many songs throughout the tracklist. The compositions are both melodic and filled with subtle additions that turn almost every re-listen into something new. It’s a feat I feel many artists/bands have trouble pulling off without coming off as pretentious. But PJ Harvey powers through it with no apologies. Her lyrics are both hard hitting and engaging. Her voice is both ethereal and wonderful to listen to. The topics on her agenda range from commentary on war and a love for her country with an undeniable patriotic disappointment in it; which I think we can all relate to. This is another album I gave two listens to when it popped up; and both times it felt like I was hearing something new in it. ‘Let England Shake, is an absolutely fantastic LP.

Even with some of the albums I have given low ratings to so far, I can at least understand the significance of the work. 'Hybrid Theory'? Sure. T. Rex's 'Electric Warrior'? Totally. Elvis? Not a fan, but I can at least see his impact in the time of his peak. The Triffids 'Calenture', though? This is the first time I have audibly asked the question: "why is this on the 1001 albums list?". It's not that this LP is even that bad. There isn't anything particularly worth criticizing or praising as everything it has to offer is pretty inoffensive. It's just that there is nothing interesting happening here, and it is one of the most borderline cliche albums I have ever heard. It sounds like they listened U2's 'The Joshua Tree' a few months earlier and thought: "Yeah, let's make something like that". I could almost sense the road each melody would take in every song, I was unbelievably bored by nearly every composition, and the band isn't exactly pushing any production envelopes. I gave it a fair chance, as I did everything else so far, and I literally couldn't wait for it to be over. As mentioned above, "inoffensive" is a word I used to describe 'Calenture', and that matches up with the lyrics and vocals of lead singer David McComb. He's a pretty good singer, just not a particularly standout one; and he's a good lyricist, he just has nothing very interesting to say (at least in this album). Personally, for me - as a baseline, if the music itself is rather simple or nothing special - the lyrics need to really stand out. And if lyrics aren't exactly an artist/band's speciality - then the music and production needs to impress. 'Calenture' does neither of these things for me.

This album was... okay? I didn't love it. But I also didn't hate it. This is one of those LP's where it feels like the artist/band were having a few music sessions and just rolled with that for the release. Which can really go either way. It's either going to be a pretty fun listen, or it's not going to click overall with a wide audience other than the artist/band performing it; or just the hardcore fans. Maybe I'm in the minority seeing as 'Moondance' was a commercial success. That, or Van Morrison does just happen to have a huge hardcore fanbase. Once you have listened to the opener 'And It Stoned Me' - You can rest assured that this is pretty much the entire tracklist. If you like that 70's rhythm and blues sound, sprinkled with some jazzy rock 'n' roll, this will probably be right up your alley. Theoretically, this should be up my alley. But there's just not enough of a punch or variety to bring it up a level a level for me. Lyrically everything is fine. Morrison really goes in on spirituality and contextualises his observations and commentary through that spirituality. It feels inspired, hopeful, and his lyrics do flow nicely. For me, personally, I just can't find much to relate with. It's a decent album; and I think even if you're not a fan you can find something to appreciate here. Would I consider it a "must listen", though? Not really. But I also wouldn't tell you to ignore it completely.

The marriage of electronic and acoustic throughout this album makes it an addictive tracklist. While overall everything is pretty down-tempo, low-fi, and chill - it certainly doesn’t mean it isn’t engaging. In fact you would be rewarded for giving ‘Moon Safari’ a few listens because there is so much going on, yet no one element is overpowering the other. The opening track ‘La femme d’argent’ does an excellent job in setting the mood. It’s atmosphere, jazz, and acoustic elements all combining to take you on an eclectic journey of moods and melodies. Almost like it’s a 7 minute preview of what is to come. The tracks featuring vocals by Beth Hirsch are absolute standouts. Her voice matches exactly what the French duo are trying to execute here. By far their most melodic and acoustic works on the album. Yet still containing the depth and complexity of the production. The haunting’ Talisman’, the ethereal ‘Kelly Watch The Stars, the jazzy ‘Ce matin-là’, the spacey ‘New Star In The Sky’. There is just so much packed into its 10 tracks that I’m absolutely amazed ‘Moon Safari’ doesn’t feel overstuffed or overindulgent. ‘Moon Safari’, if possible, would probably be best listened to on an actual sound system. It really is a 45 minute experience that will most certainly paint a world inside your head as it goes on; and how vibrant that world is will depend on how powerful the sound you’re working with is. This album is one of the “gold standard” examples of an entire genre; in this case electronica. Even if it’s not quite your cup of tea, it should be listened to by anyone who enjoys similar works.

This the second time two things have happened: 1) I had to find the “proper” version on YouTube as Apple Music only has a version with 8 tracks (I never really want to cheap out on any record that pops up). This happened with ‘Black Monk Time’ a few weeks ago. 2) This is the second live album so far. The first being Thin Lizzy’s ‘Live And Dangerous’. So I’ll say the same thing I said the first time: I never really know how to rate live albums, as I don’t frequently see them as “essential” listening in an artist’s discography. So I can only judge this based on the quality of the performance with the ceiling I usually offer such LP’s; and it’s pretty solid offering. It’s mostly rock ‘n’ roll classics that you have probably heard a million other bands cover before. The performances are pretty flawless and, man it is energetic as hell. So I don’t really have a problem with it. But like Thin Lizzy’s ‘Live And Dangerous’, your opinion on it will probably depend on how big of a Jerry Lee Lewis fan you are. So for me it’s a 3. I don’t dislike it at all, I just don’t think there’s anything here to make me want to listen to it numerous times.

I remember when this album was heavily marketed around release and I completely wrote it off as pretentious indie crap after only hearing little snippets here and there. But now that I'm a little older, and willing to broaden my horizons, I'm looking back at younger me wondering what an idiot I was; because 'Neon Bible' is a legitimately fantastic album. I know the majority of this was recorded in a renovated church; and I usually dismiss these kind of methods as inconsequential to the listener. However, I feel it actually does make an impact here. The sound oozing from each song is entirely gothic, ethereal, and mystical; almost as if you can visualize the very interior of the building they recorded in. You can feel all of this particularly in the double-crescendo the album leads to with 'No Cars Go' and 'My Body Is A Cage' - with their intense orchestral arrangements and haunting instrumentation. While Butler takes lead vocals on most tracks, I think where it really shines is when Chassagne joins him. They work incredibly well together. 'Black Wave/Bad Vibrations' and 'The Well And The Lighthouse' are also huge standouts as a result. It's also lyrically introspective, filled with questions regarding the commercialization of religion/faith, and chilling societal commentary; and it all combines into a very rewarding listen. At its very base, this would fall into the crowd of many albums college kids raved about around that time. But Arcade Fire set themselves apart by, not just adding the above elements, but exceeding with them.

Oh man, the second ‘Karma Chameleon’ played I was transported to just about every family party/event I have ever been to. It might actually be one of my most listened to songs, and that stat has the context of it being completely against my will. Not that it’s a bad song - I can see why it was a hit. But the fact it continues to dominate in the wedding/christening/birthday circles to this day kind of amazes me. It’s also a reason why I was ready to write this album off, to be honest. But it actually surprised me. Boy George has a pretty good voice. He really shines in the ballads: Changing Every Day’, ‘That’s The Way’ (with Helen Terry absolutely killing it, as well), Victims - are all phenomenal tracks in their own right with very well written lyrics to back them up. But I find where this album stumbles is in its more up tempo tracks. Sure, ‘Karma Chameleon’ has somehow stood the test of the time. But the rest of the selection on this tracklist has not particularly aged well. They’re enjoyable, but you wouldn’t exactly need to be asking the question “what decade are these songs are from?”. It’s a total product of its time, and I think there’s other artists/bands who moreso deserve some of the recognition for the popularisation of this sound. Overall it’s a decent album. If you’re a fan of that pure 80’s pop flavour, you’ll definitely find it here. I can personally appreciate it on some level as an overall project, even if it’s not completely for me.

I wouldn’t have previously considered salsa a genre I would go out of my way to listen to. But my god, if ‘Siembra’ doesn’t make me consider doing a deeper dive then I don’t know what will. This is a fantastic album in nearly all areas. It’s got funk, it’s got soul, it’s got jazz. Putting aside the language barrier (which I believe is easily broken down in the world of music), the music alone is worth listening to. Funky bass lines, phenomenal horn sections, salsa flavoured piano; and phenomenal vocals layered on top of it to create this absolute VIBRANT world through the 7 songs on offer. I’m pretty sure we’re all mostly familiar with the track ‘Plàstico’. But looking deeper into the tracklist, other standouts include ‘Buscando Guayaba’, with its infectious melody. The absolute banger ‘Pedro Navaja’. The mid-tempo, and best vocal showcase in the album, ‘Ojos’. And the fantastic, epic crescendo of the title track ‘Siembra’. It’s an absolute blast from start to finish. I don’t really hand out 5/5 ratings too often (at least so far during this list). But this one was easy to place in that exclusive club. And if my experience is anything to go by, it is a perfect place to start a potential journey into this genre.

Red Hot Chili Peppers seem to be a band defined by three specific eras: 1) The early period where their music was just awful; they were clearly a band still figuring things out, and were on a record label willing to give them a few chances. 2) Their commercial and artistic peak (starting with this album); where everything seemed to click for their sound, their voice, and their songwriting. 3) The bland years; pretty much anything from Stadium Arcadium up to today is all pretty forgettable and generic. As if they're just in autopilot mode and are happy enough with that. 'Blood Sugar Sex Magik', you could argue, is RHCP at their best. I personally think you could take any album from this one all the way to 'By The Way' and there would be a valid reason for each one to be ranked on equal footing. I suppose where this one shines is in the fact that it still has that raw old school Peppers sound, but they have finally smoothened out the edges to clean things up. If I was ranking this album just based on the first 11 tracks alone, this would have been an easy 5. You get so much packed into them, it’s not even funny. Bass slaps galore, funky ass guitar riffs, hard hitting drums, and Anthony showing just how much range as a vocalist he has when he wants to show it off. Rock ‘n’ roll, funk, almost post-punk esque, and some surprisingly great ballads fill those first 11 tracks. From the loose 'The Power of Equality' opener, the beautiful slow tempo 'Breaking The Girl', 'I Could Have Lied', to the big hits 'Give It Away' and 'Under The Bridge'. You honestly couldn't ask for a better explosion of music from any band; and I'm not even that big of a RHCP fan. Then the album shows its only problem: at 17 tracks 'Blood Sugar Sex Magik' is just a little too bloated. It feels like a good 3-4 tracks towards the end could have been trimmed out to improve on the overall experience. Not that they're bad songs, it just feels like they were out of new ideas by that point. It causes a damn near perfect LP to lose the steam they worked hard to build up. It's still damn good overall, though: 4/5

Part of me has always written The Who off. They came up during an era of UK bands such as The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, and The Kinks; bands that seemed to totally shape the music of the 60's and heavily influenced the 70's. I just never really understood what set them apart from their peers and every attempt to make a genuine effort to deep dive into their discography I always found myself bored at some point. But their debut album is somewhat of an exception. Don't get me wrong, I still don't see what makes The Who a particular stand out band; despite that, though, 'My Generation' is very much a fun LP. The covers are actually fantastic: 'I Don't Mind', 'Please Please Please', and 'I'm A Man'. They do a great a job of showcasing the band's strengths in all areas; straight up rock 'n' roll with solid vocals. While the two big original hits 'My Generation' and 'The Kids Are Alright' have stood the test of time as fantastic anthems. I also need to highlight the album's final track 'The Ox', an improvised instrumental that ends everything on an absolute banger of heavy drums, fast tempo, and grungy guitars. The rest of the tracklist is a bit hit or miss, leaning more towards hits. 'Much Too Much', 'It's Not True', and 'A Legal Matter' are all catchy bops, even if they are a little trapped in their own time. The only real problem I have with 'My Generation' is that the first couple of original tracks are rather forgettable. While this certainly won't convert me into being a fully fledged fan of The Who, I'm also not going to deny that they mostly hit the mark with their debut album; even if it does kind of drown in the sea of more influential works from this era.

In 2024 - absolutely fuck Kanye West. But there was a large period of time when he was arguably the best hip hop artist out there. His ‘College’ trilogy is damn near perfection; hits upon hits upon hits, with albums that had plenty of commentary layered on some of the best production the world had ever heard. Even when he switched things up with ‘808’s & Heartbreak’, he knocked it out of the park. But this album? This album is by far his magnum opus. He took everything great from the ‘Graduation’ trilogy and ‘808’s’ and mashed them into their final form. Is it self indulgent? 100%. Is it a bit preachy at times? Absolutely. But is it an undeniably great listen. You betcha! The first 5 songs are just a masterclass. The haunting, angry, almost gospel-esque opener ‘Dark Fantasy’, the guitar riff heavy ‘Gorgeous’, the hard hitting ‘Power’ (with a genius sample of King Crimson putting the icing on the cake), the guaranteed hit ‘All Of The Lights’, and the pure hip hop beat driven ‘Monster’. They all paint the overall picture of the album; phenomenal lyrics, masterful rapping, and mindblowing production. Some people claim ‘MBDTF’ is front loaded. But I don’t believe that. ‘Runaway’, ‘Blame Game’, ‘Lost In The World’ are also top tracks. In fact, there isn’t a single bad section to be found here, in my opinion. The collaborations also need to be mentioned, as he works with the likes of Jay-Z, Nicki Manaj, Bon Iver, John Legend, prime Rick Ross, and Pusha T. Rarely do you ever see such a varied and killer list of artists featured on an LP; never mind the fact it’s only 13 tracks, too. Sure, revisiting this album is bittersweet given Kanye’s recent antics. But I think you can often separate the artist from the art. And ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’ isn’t just a great hip hop record, it’s quite simply one of the greatest albums of all time; and I have held that belief since it was released.

This is one of the few times I found myself bored to tears. On paper, this totally sounded like my kind of jam. But most tracks are far longer than they need to be, the mood and vibe is far too slow and chill to the point where damn near every song starts to blend into one another, and it’s simply not musically interesting enough in any respect to leave an impression on me. It all just feels rather..: lifeless? Sure, ‘Buzzin’ Fly’ is okay, ‘Dream Letter’ is probably as interesting as the lyrics get on the album, and ‘Gypsy Woman’ is where Buckley finally musters up some of the energy needed to boost up the jazz elements. But overall it’s just an absolute slog. It feels like a huge step down from his previous album ‘Goodbye And Hello’, which is a really solid effort. I also feel he executed this particular sound far better on his follow up ‘Blue Afternoon’. But hey, props to him for doing something different at the time. ‘Happy Sad’ just simply does not click with me in any way whatsoever.

Bar one dud so far, albums between #31-40 have been absolutely stellar. I didn't know what to expect when this one popped up, but one thing I certainly wasn't expecting was a killer jazz/funk LP leading us into the simple, yet effective messaging each song contains. Every track is around 12-14 minutes and they all follow the same formula: about 7-8 minutes of fantastic loose jazz instrumentation that is both funky and smooth as hell, crescendoing with reggae flavoured vocals and a return to the instrumentation to finish things out. A quick read of the fallout this album caused is also very interesting, tragic, and really paints a picture of just how much of a controversial figure Fela Kuti was. It has given me that rabbit hole itch to dive deeper into this man's life; and his music to accompany it of course. Much like 'Black Monk Time', which I got on this list about two weeks ago, this is one of those albums I would never have listened to or found out about unless it popped up here. So I'll repeat what I said in that review: discovering records like this is one of the big reasons I started this whole thing. It just completely opens your mind up, and turns your music tastes inside out in the best way possible. 'Zombie' is a phenomenal album that carries some heavy weight with it, and it should be listened to by anyone who likes to jump into protest anthems; because even in that realm it is a somewhat unique and powerful entry.

Another undiscovered gem this week. I said it yesterday, and I'll say it again today: #31-40 on this list just keeps delivering some absolute stellar albums. Today it is 'Ágætis Byrjun', an album I have never heard before by a band I have never heard of in Sigur Rós; and man am I happy I listened to this. The 10 minute opening track 'Svefn-g-englar' completely sets the stage with it's easy going melodies, dreamy subtle keyboards, low-fi drums, high ethereal vocals, and orchestral backdrop. And speaking of the orchestral backdrop for this particular track, the arrangements only get more orchestral in nature as it creates this dream like journey that transcends the language barrier; almost as if you can still feel what the song is about through the music. Other standout tracks include the amazing ballad 'Starálfur', the phenomenal "build up" song that crescendos into an epic finale 'Ný batterí', and the sheer uplifting epic 'Olsen Olsen'. It honestly feels like I have simultaneously heard it all before, yet it still feels incredibly unique. Of course, the nature of this album being a mixture of post rock and dream pop, the sound is quite important. So I do recommend listening to this with the best possible sound set up that you have, be it speakers or good headphones. Your experience with it will be good nonetheless, but good tech behind it can enhance things quite a bit. It's a fantastic record and well worth any chance you give it. For me, I'll definitely be buying it physically at some point.

You can simultaneously hear the influences that inspired this album, but you can also hear the influence this album had on hip hop/rap in the years that were to come. 'Done By The Forces Of Nature' is a hybrid record if I ever heard one; featuring infectious 80's hip hop beats, dance/funk that damn near rivals the likes of 'Earth, Wind & Fire', and unpretentious commentary on both a large societal scale and a smaller introspective scale. While 'Jungle Brothers' aren't exactly technically proficient rappers, they more than make up for it in top notch production, strong lyricism, and an amazing pop sensibility. ‘Sunshine’, ‘What U Waitin’ 4’, ‘Acknowledge Your Own History’, ‘J.Beez Comin’ Through’, and ‘Doin’ Our Own Dang’ are all strong highlights are for me. On top of that, the instrumental track ‘Good Newz Comin’’ is an absolute banger, too. A mixture of fun funk production and musicianship, with a layer of lyricism that addresses societal injustices and self reflection on their own part; but don’t think their lyrics lack any sense of fun, because there is plenty of that, too. It’s almost like the antithesis to the birth of gangsta rap that started with ‘Straight Outta Compton’ the year before - in which the aggression is turned down considerably in favour of more accessibility. I feel like without these guys, you might not have had other legendary hip hop acts like Outkast, or Wu-Tang Clan. It is an underrated album judging from the fact that it did not sell on the level of their peers, nor is it talked about all that much in any circles. But its influence is totally undeniable. The only problem is that it could have used a little trimming, as it is slightly bloated at 16 full tracks. But otherwise, it should be listened to by any fan of rap and hip hop.

This must be the oldest album I have gotten so far, and this is also quite honestly the first time an album has stunted me for words (so far). I don't quite know how to review this one. There is absolutely nothing wrong with anything here. Billie Holiday has one of the most warm and soothing voices I have ever heard, and she matches up perfectly with the slow tempo jazz and gorgeous orchestral arrangements; all thanks to a pretty good song selection throughout the tracklist. She sings with so much soul you can tell she is heavily invested in the material she is pouring her heart into. However, this is one of those times where I feel like I'm on the outside looking in. This isn't something I would go out of my way to listen to, but it can all be appreciated on some level; and that's where I stand regarding this album. Not my jam, but I can totally understand why people would love it and why it is on the 1001 albums list. A high 3/5 for me.

I can almost forgive someone for not immediately vibing with this album if it was their first exposure to The Velvet Underground. It doesn't smack you in the face with an overt message as to why this band is held in such high regard. No. Their self titled third album is a far more subtle LP and I think it deserves more than one listen for it to click. It is the definition of a 'grower' if there ever was one. The first 6 tracks, lyrically, cover subjects such as transgenderism, love songs, existentialism, and seeking redemption through religion (even though Lou Reed claims ‘Jesus’ is not a religious song); all layered on top of subtle, restrained experimentation that at first listen might not sound like anything special. But after another, maybe 2 more listens it can really start to open your ears up. Most of it is mellow and some of it certainly demands an attentive listener. But it is rewarding nonetheless. The second half is where I feel ‘The Velvet Underground’ really opens up. The lyrically genius and upbeat ‘Beginning To See The Light’, the minimal and catchy ‘That’s The Story Of My Life’, the absolute attack (in the best way possible) on the ears and many other senses ‘The Murder Mystery’, and the addictive quick two minute outro ‘After Hours’. It makes the first half seem like the calm peace before a storm of elements; and it is a stronger half all the more for it. I give this album a 4. A high 4. Because it certainly is not the band’s best work, in my opinion. But it is still a great album. It is simultaneously all-over-the-place stylistically, yet somehow feels extremely coherent. It features well written - often genius lyrics, and experimentation that doesn’t take away from it being accessible. It may not be the best starting point for new potential fans, but it is certainly is worth visiting nonetheless.

Good lord I love this album. I recommend listening to this first and THEN reading about the production; because you’d be surprised to learn just how few musicians Zappa worked with to create these 6 songs that sound so rich and deep; it’ll blow your mind that he wasn’t using a fully fledged jazz band section you’d see in studios/theatres. Instead, he took advantage of a homemade 16 track and made heavy use of overdubs. But putting the impressive DIY technical aspect aside, though. If you love long form, loose, fusion jazz with a sprinkle of phenomenal rock ‘n’ roll guitar work - I don’t see any reason why you wouldn’t love this. Zappa described ‘Hot Rats’ as a movie for your ears, and he isn’t wrong whatsoever. It’s an absolute blast from start to finish. ‘Peaches en Ragalia’ almost sounds like the perfect opener to a movie, and makes a perfect transition into the incredible ‘Willie The Pimp’ - which takes you on an exciting eclectic musical journey with varied and exciting guitar work; and you can almost hear the horns being stretched to their limit. ‘Son Of Mr. Green Genes’ is a bit more retrained, yet still has that sense of anxious urgency at times. ‘Little Umbrellas’ sees things really take a more chill approach; more piano based than the other tracks featuring great use of the flute and clarinets. ‘The Gumbo Variations’ is another long form epic, putting the guitar and saxophones to incredible use. Things finish up with an almost perfect end sequence with ‘It Must Be A Camel’ - with some of my favourite drum work in the entire record. This is definitely one of those albums that can make a listener fall in love with a particular genre. In ‘Hot Rats’ case this is long form fusion jazz. It’s a technical and musical masterpiece in almost every respect.

I’ll keep no secrets here; I have never been a big Led Zeppelin fan. I like a chunk of their work, and appreciate the sheer talent involved. But overall, they have always been somewhat overrated in my book. I honestly couldn’t tell you sometimes what songs belong on what album. And on top of that, my view on double albums still stands even with ‘Physical Graffiti’; double albums can be a double edged sword. They’re either absolute masterpieces or they’re musically stretched too thin. For me, ‘Physical Grafitti’ completely falls into the latter. I do find some tracks to be fine work: ‘Houses Of The Holy’, ‘Kashmir’, ‘In The Light’, and ‘Down By The Seaside’ are actually phenomenal and really highlight the band at their strength. Plant’s vocals are arguably at their best, there is fantastic hard hitting riffs, and great guitar solos throughout. I just can’t help but feel had they not frankensteined a long record from previous rejects not only would this be a better listen, their later output could also have been marginally improved. It sounds as if I don’t like ‘Physical Graffiti’ all that much, I know. I actually do like it. It just runs into the same problems a lot of double albums do; it runs out of steam and the variety in musicality needed to keep a massive project like this interesting just isn’t there. So I give this a 3. It can be appreciated by pretty much everyone, and I know a lot of people hold it in HIGH regard, but most of it just doesn’t click with me overall; and I find a lot of their earlier work far superior.

‘Hotel California’ is a super difficult album for me to rate and review. I don’t dislike this album, but I also don’t love it. To get the good stuff out of the way: the title track and ‘Life In The Fast Lane’ are hits for a reason. The former is an absolute classic with one of the most infectious chorus’ ever put to tape, paired with phenomenal melodic guitar work to finish things up. ‘Life In The Fast Lane’, meanwhile, is just balls out rock ‘n’ roll; fun and simple. In general the tracklist is pleasant, listenable, and accessible; and there’s a couple of surprisingly strong ballads. ‘Pretty Maids All In A Row’ and ‘The Last Resort’ are well worth a listen as it’s where the band truly flex their skill at arrangements and Don Henley’s smooth vocals really shine. The problem I have with this album is that I just don’t see, or hear, what makes it so special or as highly revered as it is. The 70’s is an absolutely STACKED decade in terms of artists and bands who made some of the most influential music of our time. And I can’t help but feel that ‘Hotel California’ may have been as “Mall Dad Rock” back then as it is now (just to be clear, I am a late 80’s baby - so I’m making a broad assumption here). The impression I get is that this album lives off the reputation of its commercial success (and its singles), rather than any kind of influence or shift it may or may not potentially have had on the music industry. So in probably one of my more controversial moves I’m giving this album a 2, despite the fact I mostly enjoyed it at surface level. Because it feels like a band concerned with checking off a list of what will sell instead of crafting a project out of genuine, meaningful inspiration.

This is one of those cases where a piece of work just isn't for me. I love electronica, don't get me wrong. But when it is layered with house and techno it personally enters hit and miss territory; and this is very much a hit and miss album. I feel like this music belongs on a stage with lasers, CGI screens, and an audience who wants to simply vibe with it. To sit down and give it a serious listen is a bit of an odd experience. In general, it is good. The drum programming is complex and impressive, the keyboard work is top notch, and the sounds they're experimenting with are implemented seamlessly. Standout tracks for me: 'Cobra Bora', '808080808', and 'Sunrise'; songs that I could totally have on in the background and not complain. I give it a 3 because I'm a sucker for good production and I appreciate it for what it is. I just probably wouldn't seek it out in the future.

Oh boy, this list is testing me with these double albums lately lol. Look, I'm a fan of the Stones. I am. I'm not a hardcore fan by any means. But I enjoy the majority of their output. However, I disagree with many people and critics that this is their best album. I don't think it is. Not by a long shot. To pull off a quality and engaging double LP it either needs a reason to be such or it has to have a wide variety of musicality throughout. The Who's 'Tommy' and Pink Floyd's 'The Wall' are rock operas that are portraying a storyline to the listener and is the backbone of the tracklist, weird interludes and all. The Beatles' 'White Album' is an absolute pool of variety ranging from rock 'n' roll, campfire bizzare-ness, ballads in all shapes and forms, a sprinkle of country, and even heavy metal. The Rolling Stones' 'Exile On Main St.' is simply an extended tracklist of that that bluesy rock 'n' roll sound they have perfected; it's great, but rarely do they ever step out of their comfort zone and the album suffers from being far too bloated for its own good. Personal highlights: 'Rocks Off', 'Sweet Virginia', 'Torn and Frayed', 'Happy', 'Ventilator Blues', 'All Down The Line', and 'Shine A Light'. In all honesty, there isn't a single bad track on here. So by that metric 'Exile On Main St.' should be perfection in and of itself. But I'm judging this as an entire piece of work. And as an album it is disjointed, despite the polished production and great songs. It is far longer than it has any reason to be. And does not have the variety or concept to keep it engaging. I know the Stones are on this list a few times, so I'm excited about those albums. For me, personally, 'Exile On Main St.' is an album that you can pick out your favourites and playlist them, but is somewhat hard to sit down and listen to as an overall project. 3/5

Perhaps I just wasn't in the mood at the time of listening, or perhaps some may feel I'm just not giving this album much of a chance. But I have never particularly understood the musical appeal of Bruce Springsteen. I mean I do to some degree, but I don't understand how he has transcended to the legacy level he is at today. I thought this album might turn my opinions around when I was forced to actually listen to a full LP, but it didn't. Almost nothing clicked with me here. The lyrics were... fine? They flow well enough and are fairly uplifting. But the instrumentation is still that quintessential heartland rock Bruce Springsteen sound that just doesn't interest me whatsoever. Sure - it's got nice melodies, efficient musicianship, and slick production. But 'Darkness On The Edge Of Town' is very much a product of that late 70's/early 80's radio rotation. Hell, you can even say it's very much a product of every rock radio station today - as the hosts rev up a Springsteen track for the drive home from the office. Thank god we can load up streaming services in our cars nowadays. Springsteen was influential for his lyrics and how he was able to relate to the "everyman" and their struggles, which I can totally respect; and it's all over this LP. But musically I always found him and his band to be very bog standard, bringing nothing truly unique to the table. I thought about giving this album a 1/5. However, I'll admit it isn't egregiously bad or anything; so it gets bumped to a 2/5. I'm just simply not a fan of the sound the "Boss" goes for. Heartland rock just isn't my jam.

Whew… ANOTHER double album and ANOTHER Who album. Crazy times. There’s two things I will preface this quick review with: 1) Double albums? Hit or miss. It’s either a masterpiece or stretched too thin, rarely falling in the middle. I think I have mentioned this a couple of times in my reviews of other double LP’s. 2) I’m not a big fan of The Who, but do like parts of their discography. With that said, ‘Tommy’ is a strange beast of a project. I don't think it's quite the first rock opera unleashed to the public. But it certainly is ONE of the first; and I can only imagine what the general reaction was upon first listen. The storyline throughout the songs certainly has its fair share of twists and turns. We go on this journey of Tommy Walker, born in the song 'It's A Boy', whose father killed his mother's lover upon returning home ('1921'). Which causes the titular character to go deaf, dumb, and blind. He gets exposed to physical abuse by the hand of his 'Cousin Kevin', and has his mind opened to acid thanks to the Gypsy in 'The Acid Queen'; and that's just within the first half of the tracklist. The second half starts with the uncomfortable duo tracks 'Do You Think It's Alright?' and 'Fiddle About', where Tommy is sexually abused by his Uncle. We learn Tommy is phenomenal at pinball ('Pinball Wizard'), and move swiftly onto him smashing the mirror to free himself. He then goes on to become a religious cult leader due to this miracle, and it all ends with his followers revolting against him in the brilliant finisher 'We're Not Gonna Take It'. There's enough strong tracks here to keep the album interesting enough, and musically it’s The Who - so it's that rock ‘n’ roll sound we all know from them. The fact it’s an actual storyline helps to bump the engagement up. Where I find ‘Tommy’ slips up is the fact The Who’s, and Townshend‘s, ambition (and this album is AMBITIOUS) tends to outweigh the musical limitations of the band. Not in terms of talent, mind you. Moreso regarding their mind for production at the time and overall sound. But that’s not to say they’re not pushing themselves to limits they had not previously. As I stated previously, there’s certainly enough strong tracks meticulously placed along the album to ensure ‘Tommy’ doesn’t lose steam across its massive 24 tracks, and there’s a few that are absolute staples of The Who’s catalogue. I can also respect the philosophy, at the time, of wanting to move away from having 3 minute singles slapped onto an LP with little to no concept. It genuinely seems like The Who found their artistic calling with ‘Tommy’. So while this double album is musically stretched thin to a degree, there’s no denying the risk the band took here. Nor can you deny its strange and wonderful ambition, even if they don't always quite reach it. In my book, this is a 3.5/5 album, but I am rounding it up to a 4. It’s worth a listen for historical significance alone, the fact that it’s also pretty good is a bonus.

This is about as blues as blues gets. I don’t know if it’s a controversial take or not, but I often like blues when it’s combined with something else. To listen to a full album of it in its most pure form isn’t really my cup of tea. Everything is pretty solid here, regardless. And I can at least respect it on an artistic level. The collaborations are strong, particularly ‘I’m In The Mood’ with Bonnie Raitt, ‘Cuttin’ Out’ and Canned Heat. The three solo tracks that end the LP are also worth checking out. The problem for me is that things just sort of blend together as the album goes on. I seem to have had very little reaction to ‘The Healer’. It just kind of zipped by and I was left underwhelmed. Totally get why people would like it, but it’s not really my vibe at all. As I said above, I like blues when it’s fused to something else. But I find it hard to get through when it’s the only flavour on offer. An appreciative 3/5.

This is often labelled as Prince’s first real breakthrough album and I would tend to agree. Not to say his previous efforts were bad at all, but they were certainly more hit and miss than anything. ‘1999’ marked a Prince that had a lot more conviction in his sound and production techniques. I also believe this is the first time ‘The Revolution’ were credited with him; and it became the start of his era of critical and commercial success. I’m going to make a pretty bold comparison here. Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ is often defined as his definitive work just as much as ‘Purple Rain’ seems to be viewed as Prince’s magnum opus. But like Jackson’s ‘Off The Wall’ album, Prince’s ‘1999’ is pretty much the damn near perfect predecessor that enters an underrated territory because it immediately flies under the shadow of the follow up’s massive success. ‘1999’ has no bad tracks and is pretty much 11 songs that are absolute bangers. The self titled opener and ‘Little Red Corvette’ are legendary tracks. The former using a keyboard riff that sticks with you long after the song is over, and an infectious, infamous chorus to boost it up even more. The latter seems almost designed for radio and MTV, but doesn’t lose the depth of production Prince is famous for. The absolute bop that is ‘Let’s Pretend We’re Married’, the funk driven ‘D.M.S.R.’, the beautiful power ballad ‘Free’, the atmospheric, fast, and smokey ‘All The Critics Love U In New York’, and the phenomenal finisher ‘International Lover’ where Prince really lets his strong vocals shine. Nearly every track features infectious bass lines, impressively programmed drums, and some of the absolutely best funk driven guitar work you have ever heard. ‘1999’ is simply great from start to finish, and could make the case for Prince’s best work. It is self indulgent (it is Prince, after all). It is confident. And it is unapologetic. But it wouldn’t be the album it is without these qualities; and it is worth listening to for any fan of fantastic production and dance-y psychedelic funk. 5/5

I feel like if you want to take a serious dive into the history of music, much of Elvis Costello's work is a right of passage. As this album shows, he is very much an artist with his own voice, but you can hear the influences as he wears his heart on his sleeve; taking the sounds that influence and interest him and concocting his own experiment out of them. This is definitely one of his better works. Lyrically, Costello is more angry here than usual. Reflecting on a very materialistic society through songs like 'This Year's Girl', 'Pump It Up', and (I don't Want To Go To) Chelsea. Reflections on the struggles of early manhood in 'The Beat'. Dealing with alienation in 'Lipstick Vogue'. And voicing strong criticism while portraying a fear of the far right in 'Night Rally'. This is all packed onto music that is energetic, catchy, with a raw punk attitude; but also feels extremely well produced. He takes elements of punk, channels them through a slick filter, and you can almost hear every pop punk band of the late 90's/early 2000's owing much of their sound and ideas to Costello. Personal highlights: 'This Year's Girl', 'The Beat', 'You Belong To Me', (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea, 'Lip Service', 'Living In Paradise', and 'Night Rally'. It's a pretty packed album with only a couple of songs letting it down a smidge. But otherwise, this is pretty prime Elvis Costello. 4/5

When this popped up my reaction was “I know the name Steely Dan, but I don’t think I know any of their material”. Then ‘Rikki Don’t Lose That Number’ opened the album and I immediately knew it from the odd radio play here and there. ‘Pretzel Logic’ has every element of it that would scream “yeah, that’s up your alley”. However, I found this to be a bit underwhelming. As if the half hour just zipped on by followed by my immediate “well that’s that then” reaction. This is essentially jazz fused with rock and blues and at no point could you say any of it is particularly bad. But nothing here is lighting my musical tastes on fire. The musicianship is efficient, the vocals are fine, and the production is clean and slick. It's just that if there was ever an album that could join the pool of standard sounding dad rock from the otherwise golden age of the 70's that hasn't aged particularly well: 'Pretzel Logic' would be it. This is one of those LP's where I can appreciate it for its elements, as I didn't dislike the album. But I simply wouldn't be seeking this out when there's a plethora of similar artists who made far more interesting music. So it rounds up into the appreciative 3/5 category for me. Good, but ultimately forgettable.

Earth, Wind & Fire are easily one of my favourite bands. They just encapsulate so many elements so effortlessly: funk, pop, soul, disco, and R&B; and they somehow do it so well across nearly all of their albums. ‘That’s The Way Of The World’ is no different. I feel like picking this one out of the first batch of their works reveals them at a very focused level. The funky hit single ‘Shining Star’ is the perfect opener: infectious horns, uplifting lyrics, and phenomenal bass lines. The jazz-y, dance-y, and energetic ‘Happy Feelin’’. The laid back, cool, and wonderful love song ‘All About Love (First Impression)’. The song that gets stuck in my head beyond belief ‘Yearnin’ Learnin’. The absolutely gorgeous ‘Reasons’. And the phenomenal instrumental ‘Africano’ with its amazing flute work, fast horns, and build up nature. 8 tracks. 8 tracks spanning across 40 minutes and somehow it just doesn’t feel like enough. It flies by leaving you wanting at least another 15 songs of this, which is not entirely unusual for Earth, Wind & Fire albums. But this one is regarded as one of their best, and I would completely agree. Is it their absolute best? No. However, it is certainly in the conversation. If you were to recommend an Earth, Wind & Fire album to anyone looking to dive into their work for the first time, this is arguably one of the best places to start. It showcases the band's joyful personality, their incredibly varied musicianship, and positive uplifting lyrics at a very high level; and how they combine many elements to make their music so much fun to listen to without it seeming forced at all. 4/5

This one is a little hard to review as it’s a little unique to a degree. You’re kind of forced into just talking about how the vocals sound and the music itself, as lead vocalist Elizabeth Fraser sings in an entirely made up language. I’d love to say it’s a very daring choice to do so, but it seems to fit the music and production perfectly; adding an aura of total mystery to everything. It forces you to FEEL the music, while simultaneously adding to it. Her voice is dreamy, smooth, and ethereal as she hits high note after high note after high note with an unbelievably strong sense of melody and intensity. I was also surprised to learn, upon reading about this album, that the band aren’t very fond this release; regarding it as rushed and meaningless “arty-farty”. But at the same time they kind of admit defeat that people seem to like this album more than the others as it was their most successful. It really shows how sometimes there can be a pretty distinct disconnect between the audience and the artist. I myself am falling in line with the audience on this one. It may have been rushed, and it may not mean anything to the band. However, they have crafted a masterpiece here. Aside from the phenomenal vocals of Fraser, the music is just perfection. Gentle acoustic and electric guitars. Echo-y drums that feel far away adding to the ethereal, dream-like atmosphere. Bells ringing throughout each song. Subtle piano work. And just beautiful engineering all around. My personal highlights: ‘Ivo’, ‘Lorelei’, ‘Persephone’, ‘Amelia’, and ‘Domino’. I was very quick to add this to my list of LP’s I now want to physically own; and I think anyone and everyone should give this album a chance. Because while it means absolutely nothing to the band, they seemed to have accidentally stumbled into making just an absolute banger of a dream pop album. 5/5

One of my favourite throw-away bits by comedian Bill Hicks was about Jimi Hendrix. "My Man JIMI!" *Guitar noises* "YEAAAHHH!" *More guitar noises* "YEAAAHH!!" *More guitar noises* "Man he was a f****** alien, man. No doubt about it, man. UFO dropped him off, said 'Jimi show us it's done, we'll pick you up in 28 years, alright?'" The man was a guitar god, and this album is nothing but absolute bangers. Addictive guitar riffs, effortless guitar solos, and just cool ass songs throughout the whole tracklist; and thankfully Apple Music has the US edition because I think it's a much stronger than the UK/international one. Hendrix is one those artists that I feel is universally loved, or at least liked, and it is entirely well deserved. 'Are You Experienced' is probably him at his absolute best commercially. This is teetering between a 4 and a 5 rating, but I ultimately decided on a high 4/5. The reason being is that I would argue his follow up albums 'Axis' and 'Electric Ladyland' are tied for his best from a more musical perspective as he evolved as an artist. But this LP is still super fun, trippy, and all round brilliant. I feel like even if you're the kind of person to scoff at classic rock in general, this just might be the kind of album to turn you around on it. Personal highlights: ‘Purple Haze’, ‘Hey Joe’, ‘I Don’t Live Today’, ‘The Wind Cries Mary’, ‘Fire’, and ‘Third Stone From The Sun’.

I like to think I’m fairly knowledgeable about pop culture in general, but the whole ‘Simon & Garfunkel’ saga sort of flew under my radar. I was familiar with their popular hits, I was aware they were a groundbreaking act, I was not overly familiar with them outside of their big hits. This can also be applied to Paul Simon’s solo work. This is essentially me listening to a full LP in this bubble of music for the first time; and it seems to be a fantastic place to start. The opening track really surprised me with its yin/yang nature of dread and terrorism mixed with hope and optimism, layered on top of uplifting melodies featuring surprisingly great use of an accordion (which features in many tracks). It made me think: “Wow, what am I getting into here?”. The social and political commentary on Africa seems to continue throughout other tracks on the album: ‘Under African Skies’ and ‘Homeless’. Paul Simon has somewhat mastered the art of expressing his lyrics through a conversational style. The love song about an odd relationship between a poor man and a rich woman in ‘Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes”, featuring an almost relaxing, albeit addictive and subtle melody backed by African percussion instruments. The chronicles of a man going through a midlife crisis in ‘You Can Call Me Al’, partnered with one of the greatest keyboard riffs you’ll ever hear. Musically - the sounds of African music are in virtually every track. The pop sensibility seems almost unrivalled, yet nothing is really too bombastic or overproduced. It makes Paul Simon’s simple, yet efficient vocals fit perfectly with the music itself. In all honesty, there isn’t a single track I dislike in any capacity; and I very quickly listened to it another two times. From start to finish ‘Graceland’ is nothing but addictive melodies, a wide variety of instruments, extremely well written lyrics, and slick production. 5/5

I feel like this is another one of those “gotta get the numbers up on the 1001 albums list” entries. The whole britpop movement of the 90’s/early 2000’s is full of memorable bands and album releases. Oasis, Blur, Pulp, Supergrass, Suede etc. I don’t think the band Shack was ever part of that conversation, never mind this LP. In fact, this list appears to be the only mention of it in any sort of ‘best of’ capacity. Is it a bad record? No. Not at all. It’s actually fairly pleasant. But it is fairly derivative of works that came before it, it lacks any form of originality to separate it from its influences, and is overall pretty forgettable. If you want a description of what ‘H.M.S. Fable’ sounds like: imagine the band Shack got together and couldn’t decide if they wanted to sound like Oasis, Blur, or The Verve and after much deliberation they ultimately went with all 3. You’d do better to listen to the masters, rather than a master of none, y’know? I give it a fairly generous 2/5. Because it isn’t bad. However, it doesn’t particularly belong here. You could easily find a plethora of britpop albums from this era that are vastly superior that were probably omitted from the 1001 albums list.

Yes are a band that I am a semi-fan of. Their highs are absolutely mountain high, but their lows are often the core of the Earth. If there is one album in their discography that represents this little anecdote - it is ’Fragile’. Some of the tracks here are Yes at their absolute best. The phenomenal opener ‘Roundabout’, with its insane bass line and absolute toe-tapping melody and beat. The haunting genre mixing of ‘South Side Of The Sky’, the smokey acoustic instrumental ‘Mood For A Day’, and the damn near magnum opus of prog rock finisher in ‘Heart Of The Sunrise’. If I was ranking this album just based on these songs alone this would be around the 4/5 mark for me. But it is littered with fillers. ‘Cans and Brahms’, ‘We Have Heaven’, ‘Five Per Cent For Nothing’, and ‘The Fish’ are all fairly short interludes that add nothing but more runtime. I would have honestly preferred it if the band had ditched these tracks and simply extended the stronger material. It’s a true “middle of the road” record with high high’s and some very low low’s. Yes also have much stronger albums than this - so I can only hope those are on this list, as well. 3/5

As somebody who is listening to Kraftwerk for the first time, I had to double check the year this album was released; because while it came out in 1978, it honest-to-god sounds like something that could realistically be released today and it could still hang with the best electronica has to offer. Every song has an almost futuristic sci-fi dystopian feel to it; phenomenal use of keyboards, synthesisers, and vocoders with fast based drum programming. The sparse lyrics allow the music and production to speak for itself. You, as the listener, will be painting your own picture as the 6 tracks seemingly fly by. You can hear the influence this band must have had on music. Just a quick look at their Wikipedia page reveals a list of acts who borrowed from them, were influenced heavily by them overall, and they seem to be looked at as the gold standard of electronica. While I’m only discovering them for the first time here, I can definitely hear it on this album. Personal highlights: ‘Spacelab’, ‘Metropolis’, ‘The Model’, and ‘The Man-Machine’. I would honestly recommend this album to anybody. It’s a great showcase of electronica and what the genre can truly pull off. It’s simple on the surface, yet complex in its production. It’s melodic, vibrant, unashamed, and the mood it creates is absolutely captivating. I could honestly listen to a longer version of this LP as ‘The Man-Machine’ left me wanting a lot more. 4/5

This is an interesting album. A complete raw, middle finger to society, angry record. You're not going to find a technical masterpiece here, nor do I think the band were particularly trying to create such a project. This is 16 tracks ranging from 43 seconds in length to 9+ minutes of pure energy, with lyrics that range from topics such as communism, criticisms of America itself, and everyday suffering in society. I actually found Crash's vocals difficult to understand, as if the whole sound the band were going for was sloppiness; and from what I understand reading about Germs, this seemed to always be somewhat intentional - even for their live shows. But it's worth reading the lyrics while listening, as they are surprisingly well written. Musically is where I feel things really stumble. I know it's a punk album. But prior to '(GI)' there had already been several innovations made within the genre. With this LP, it feels like tracks are almost blending in to each other far too much. On my first listen I was sometimes surprised to see about 3 or 4 tracks had gone by thinking it was all the one song. It reminds me a lot of AFI's first two records - huge tracklists, short songs, but musically a lot of it all sounds the exact same. It's a shame the story of this band, particularly Darby Crash, is quite tragic; as I can hear the potential for better material in a near future just based on the strength of the writing alone. '(GI)' is good, and it is definitely worth listening to if you're a fan of that raw punk sound in any capacity. Despite that, I do genuinely think there is better examples of punk and what it can achieve both prior to and after the release of this album. Maybe it's a great introduction to the LA punk scene of the 70's, which I'm not overly familiar with. Or maybe I'm just wrong in my thoughts here. But it's an interesting LP, regardless, even if it doesn't completely click with me. 3/5

Well, it happened. The true test of wills when it comes to music for me: I have scratched and clawed my way through an entire country album. No genre can lay claim to being my most hated like country can. This album completely ruined my morning drive. Several times I lost focus because my ears and brain were being subjected to torture. My toddler couldn't wait to get out of the car and into daycare; and he will probably hold this ordeal against me for the rest of his life. This album actually made me appreciate the communal radio in work, and I hate the communal radio in work. Listening to this felt like everything my body and brain typically rejects was trying to attack. As if there was some internal civil war going on. Every country 'twang' that hit was like a carpet bomb on my senses. Every country lyrical cliche John Prine hit was as if the troops within the trenches of my insides had to duck from an onslaught of bullets heading their way. With every new track starting up, and the longer the runtime went on, it began to feel like a war of attrition. But my troops have persevered and we are all the stronger for it. All jokes aside, John Prine seemed like he was a nice dude. I'm sure he has many fans; and it seems many artists mark him as an influence on their work. I just really do not like country music. Like at all. It is to music what 'Battlefield Earth' is to sci-fi film. It is the 'Episode I' of the Star Wars prequels (yeah, I like Episode II. We do exist). It is the 'Revolutions' of the Matrix trilogy. It is the 'Highlander II' of the Highlander franchise. And it is every sequel to the original 'Crow' film because they're all terrible. I guess it wasn't "all jokes aside" lol. Dip country music a little bit into other genres and I can tolerate it a bit more. But 40+ minutes of pure country? Not something I'm into at all. Aw what the hell - I'll give you some more! Country music is the 'Big Rigs: Over The Road Racing' of racing games. It's the original 'Final Fantasy XIV' of the prestigious RPG franchise. It's the 'E.T.' of retro gaming. The 'Balan Wonderworld' of platformers. It's the 'Sonic '06' of the blue hedgehog's adventures. And 'The Angel Of Darkness' of the 'Tomb Raider' series. In fact, I'd much rather listen to Pink Floyd's 'Ummagumma' on repeat all day than... okay. I'm done now. 1/5

I remember when this album first came out, producing some serious hit singles, seemingly keeping Lauryn Hill heavily featured on MTV's rotation in the late 90's. And rightfully so. 'Doo Wop (That Thing)' was an absolute banger that still holds up today with its catchy brass section, bouncy piano, phenomenal lyricism and rapping, and an infectious chorus to top it off. The soulful 'Ex-Factor', truly showcasing just what an amazing vocalist she is. And 'Everything Is Everything', with its unbelievably engaging orchestral backdrop only adding to the song's addictive melody. This album has everything you would want from a hip hop/soul album. The more rap based tracks like 'Lost Ones’ and 'Final Hour', where Hill hits you with great, hard hitting, bars that are up there with some of the best of the genre are definitely worth highlighting. But it's the slower tempo soul tracks where 'The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill' truly shines: 'To Zion', 'Superstar', 'When It Hurts So Bad', 'I Used To Love Him' (which, in all honesty, should have been a single), 'Forgive Them Father', and 'Nothing Even Matters'; tracks that are backed with beautiful instrumentation, absolute pitch perfect vocals with that rare raw edge quality, and autobiographical lyrics that you can totally get lost in. It's all quite simply a trifecta that is executed beyond perfection. I have always thought that Lauryn Hill is a great "what if" of the music industry, seeing as she never released another studio album after this. This is a case of the art becoming larger than the artist, and I would completely understand the fear of not living up to this album's massive success. 'The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill' is an easy 5/5. It's not just a great hip hop/soul album, it's literally a gold standard of those genres. It feels a little cliche to give it such a high rating, but I do genuinely think it deserves it. There's not a single bad track to be found and it showcases Lauryn Hill firing on all cylinders as a top class vocalist, an underrated rapper, an engaging lyricist, and a surprisingly good producer. It's just a damn shame we never got a follow up.

I feel like Pink Floyd came along in 1967 and really pushed the boundaries on what psychedelic rock could do with ‘The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn’. It was super space-y, trippy, irreverent at times, with just a touch of prog and avant-garde thrown in. They really created something unique and I haven’t come across anything quite like it since hearing it for the first time; as if nothing similar came before or after its release. Then I refreshed my project page here and this near bite sized album popped up today on the list; and it seems I have finally hit on something comparable. Kicking off with the bizarre ‘The American Metaphysical Circus’, with its slightly disturbing instrumentation and use of horror-esque sound effects as backdrops to the gentle, melodic singing. It’s as engaging as it is almost off-putting. ‘The Garden Of Earthly Delights’ puts more experimentation on the table, more rock based for sure with elements of prog in its disregard for typical song structure and use of quick tempo changes. ‘Coming Down’ which feels like the most pure psychedelic track on the album. The dreamy and politically charged ‘Love Song For The Dead Che’ that feels like it belongs in the end credits of a movie. And the album finisher ‘The American Way Of Love’, a 6+ minute compilation track that seems to sum up the LP perfectly in 3 varied acts, ending with a trippy sound collage. Lyrically ‘The United States Of America’ is worth almost studying. There is commentary on many things such as politics, media manipulation, human temptation, and a fairly direct comparison of the almost bogus counterculture movements of the 60’s taking place within the continual unchecked capitalism of the west. Yet despite that, there is much restraint in the poetic lyrics you’ll hear. ‘The United States Of America’ does not feel like an angry record, but it is unapologetic in its observations regardless. It’s an interesting album that I had real trouble applying an arbitrary number to. Because musically I found it had me engaged, yet at the same time it seemed to be pushing me away; as if I was only allowed to view the bubble but not make my way inside to fully embrace it. And lyrically I appreciated the honesty and the raw expression littered throughout the tracklist. So I’m rating it based on my enjoyment; and in this case I’m giving it a 3/5. It’s certainly no “middle of the road” album, like many of my 3/5 ratings. It’s a statement piece through and through, which I can totally respect. And whether it was a commercial and artistic success or not, I don’t think the band particular cared. But it’s worth listening to by anyone, as it will most certainly leave a different impression on many different people.

Bowie had evolved so much in a seemingly short time from his preppy debut with his folks-y follow up, infamous glam rock phase, and briefly stepping into a more funk/soul/R&B realm with ‘Young Americans’ and this album; which is right before the excellent ‘Berlin Trilogy’. It truly shows how borderline unstoppable he was in the 70’s. He debuted a new character for ‘Station To Station’: The Thin White Duke. According to Bowie, a “nasty” character. But across the short tracklist he feels more like a detached spiritualist whose love songs are more observant, rather than featuring any actual expression. The lengthy title track, the excellent funk driven single ‘Golden Years’, and the beautiful soulful ballad ‘Word On A Wing’ all showcase this concept very strongly. A triple showcase of just what Bowie could effortlessly pull off; even at the height of his drug fuelled days. The only track that seems to break from the concept of the album is ‘TVC15’ - which is a bit of a surreal comedy bit about the character’s girlfriend being eaten by a television set. It’s a bit of an odd one out on the short tracklist as it’s much more dancey than the works that surround it. The album finishes up with a gorgeous ballad in ‘Wild Is The Wind’, with its flow-y acoustic guitar and Bowie’s hauntingly good vocals adding serious gravitas to it all. ‘Station To Station’ is an excellent record. While I wouldn’t quite rank it among Bowie’s best work, it is still a worthy edition to his extensive and eclectic discography; showing just how much the man was willing to step out and experiment. And lucky for us listeners, it almost always tended to succeed. 4/5

Ah, a second RHCP album. In my previous review, for 'Blood Sugar Sex Magik', I stated that you could make a case for that particular LP all the way up to 'By The Way' and argue that any of those five projects are the band's best work; and I still stand by that. It just so happens that for me I'm usually in the camp of either 'Californication' or 'By The Way', and my preference for either can change depending on whatever mood I'm in at the time. Turns out today I was actually in the mood for 'Californication'. 'Around The World' starts things out with its heavy intro, funk driven verses and melodic chorus; setting the tone for the album. 'Parallel Universe' continues with those bouncy guitar licks, and phenomenal guitar riffs tearing it up for the chorus. Then we're treated to a double offering of, arguably, RHCP's best songs: 'Scar Tissue' and 'Otherside' - mid tempo tracks with some of the most addictive melodies you will ever hear. It's an absolutely perfect way to start an album. We all know the title track 'Californication', with its haunting atmosphere and surprisingly strong lyrics (and let's not forget that amazing music video). Other highlights include: The heavy 'Emit Remmus', The sombre 'The Velvet Glove', the short and catchy 'Right On Time', and the amazing acoustic finisher 'Road Trippin''. In all honesty, my one and only criticism of 'Blood Sugar Sex Magik' was that it was too bloated and lacked enough ideas for its huge 17 song tracklist. While ‘Californication’ is no slouch at 15 tracks, I feel like the band really tightened things up because there isn’t a hint of steam running out by the time it’s all over. It is by bar their best work - both artistically and commercially. They had already broken through before this was released. But I feel 'Californication' really catapulted them into superstars, putting eyes and ears the world over on them for some time. It's a tight tracklist, filled from top to bottom with huge hits and its own solid selection of deep cuts. Overall, it is the absolute best representation of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Now, I can only hope that 'By The Way' is on this list, too. 5/5

It seems like both Ice Cube and the N.W.A had trouble evolving once the split happened. While N.W.A continued on and produced a second album, it had nowhere near the impact or quality their debut had; it was missing Ice Cube as an absolutely vital ingredient. His blunt lyrics and aggressive rap style were essential to their sound. Ice Cube's solo debut, in a similar situation, has all of the trademark style that makes him an intriguing figure yet lacks the exciting and inventive production featured on 'Straight Outta Compton'. It's a classic situation of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. Regardless, the question here is "is 'AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted' a good album? It’s okay. It's not that much different from what he knew back in the late 80's. He's angry, he doesn't mince his words, and his overall theme of pointing out racial injustice is both self righteous and, quite frankly, much needed in pop culture; both back then and now. But the overall listening experience is tiring from a musical perspective. As I mentioned above it's missing the bells and whistles of early Dr. Dre production, which tended to compliment him perfectly. It results in an album that feels like it very much belongs in 1990 and hasn't aged all that well. There's also the question of some heavily outdated, and downright worrying, views on women; along with many, many instances of the glorification of the gangsta lifestyle (which ‘Straight Outta Compton’ was very much guilty of, too). Out of all the hip hop albums I have gotten on the list so far, this is by far the weakest. There's very little innovation - as if Ice Cube simply wanted to air his lyrical ability over basic beats, some callback samples, and uninventive instrumentation. The dude had talent, but I feel like rap music creatively succeeds or fails on the production table. Maybe it's a case of starting from what you know and evolving from there - because Ice Cube definitely has better material than this in his overall discography. His debut feels more like a rethread, rather than a true branching out moment. It’s a constant reminder of what came before, rather than moving forward. Maybe I’m wrong, seeing as this album was critically and commercially successful. But that’s the beauty of different opinions and tastes, I guess. 2/5

It was about halfway through my morning drive, listening to this album, when the concept of it really hit me. Every track, every quick interlude leading you to the next piece, every blow of the horns, every orchestral backdrop; it's all meticulously arranged to make the listener feel like they're in a rose tinted, romanticized celebration and observation of Illinois. As someone who has never stepped foot inside the state (granted, I'm not from America), it only resonates with the impressions I have seen on television; be it TV shows or the news. But it at least somewhat resonates, regardless. This is simultaneously a very chill and grandiose LP. It succeeds in painting a vivid picture that you can find yourself lost in with it's complex arrangements, yet simple delivery. Its wonderful lyricism, yet restrained vocal performances. It has a mixture of atmospheres that all flow into each other so seamlessly that the long runtime loses relevance, as the journey through it all just seems to take over you. It feels designed for the big stage, which it has been adapted to. It's an extremely ambitious project and seems to hit the mark more often than not. It's a proper album; not one that you can simply pick apart and proclaim your favourites. It needs to be listened to in its full glory. Its concept paints the basic picture, and it's up to you as the listener to fill things in as it goes on. I can totally understand the seemingly mixed reviews this album has on the website. It's not going to be to everyone's taste. But for me, personally, it grew on me over the course of the tracklist. After listening to it a second time I came to truly appreciate it, and I'm glad this list has exposed me to it. 4/5 (bumped up from a 3/5 after a second listen)

Well this was a nice surprise. Marianne hits you hard in the senses right out of the gate with the title track - and its anti-terrorism message, featuring haunting keyboard riffs and repetitive drums. Themes of the negative aspects of her catholic childhood in the blues-y 'Guilt'. The bouncy electronic based 'The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan', with its tale of how things in the middle class aren't always as good as one thinks. The fast paced, lyrically drug fuelled 'What's The Hurry?'. And the very, very, very solid cover of John Lennon's 'Working Class Hero'. There's just so much to unpack in the first 6 tracks alone; and she somehow manages to cover a surprising amount of genres in such a short time while still ensuring the album is flowing seamlessly. Then the last track, 'Why'd Ya Do It?', smacks you in the face to finish things out. By far the most potent, angry, and raw look into the emotional roller-coaster a person goes through after being cheated on you'll ever hear; something I believe we can all relate to. It's a near 7 minute clash that just never lets up; and it's all backed up by Marianne's raw, piercing, almost punk-esque vocals. There's just a brutal honesty that rings throughout the tracklist. It's angry, it's introspective, and it absolutely needs to be listened to. It doesn't supply the listener with any answers to the rants and observations, but it will certainly resonate with people and make them feel like they’re totally not alone in this world. Much like John Lennon's 'Plastic Ono Band' album, 'Broken English' also feels like a therapy album for Marianne Faithfull. I feel like this is a bit of a hidden gem, and I'm glad this list brought it on my radar. You won't leave this album feeling positive. If anything, you will leave it feeling like you need something happier to listen to afterwards; and that's fine. That's the beauty of subjective art. Because 'Broken English' is full of raw expression, pent-up aggression, and a need to let it all out in the most blunt manner possible. 4/5

Bob Marley was never my true cup of tea, just something I like to sample. I could listen to bits and pieces here or there, but never an entire album. What do I think of ‘Catch A Fire’, though? I thought it was very good; and I'm glad I finally did listen to an entire Bob Marley LP. However, I also find it hard to really review. Marley had an uncanny ability to apply brutal, raw, and honest social commentary over the most chill, Caribbean flavoured reggae music. This album is absolutely full of examples of this. 'Concrete Jungle', 'Slave Driver', '400 Years', 'Stop That Train' and 'No More Trouble' are particular highlights. Subtle melodies, restrained yet intricate musicianship, and Marley's unique vocals all contribute equally to create an album that just clicks the very second it all starts. I have listened to this twice since it popped up on the list, and enjoyed it immensely both times. Which is why, even if you're like me and not a huge fan of reggae as a genre, I would recommend listening to it. Because it might turn your mind around. I was afraid this would go down as it did with any pure blues album I get; where it's a genre I'm not really into in its purest form, but only enjoy it as a flavour on something else. Yet reggae might now just be something I can explore later on down the road to expand my tastes. 'Catch A Fire' works as both great music and a phenomenal statement piece. The contrast between truthful lyrics and pleasant instrumentation can be a bit jarring. But you really do start to gel with it as the album goes on. 4/5

69 albums in and I have now gotten my third The Who album. The gods are not smiling down on me this year when I have yet to get one Beatles album - yet The Who are being shoved at me on a seemingly regular basis. What kind of sorcery do thy gods play with me? Anyway - ‘Who’s Next’ is The Who’s follow up to the massively successful ’Tommy’. Most tracks here were for the ‘Lighthouse’ rock opera project that went ultimately rejected. Resulting in an album that is simultaneously more ambitious than its predecessor from a musical perspective, yet less ambitious from a conceptual point of view. Some tracks are absolutely legendary; the masterful, hard hitting ‘Baba O’Riley’, with its unforgettable use of synthesisers. The powerful ‘Behind Blue Eyes, which has been covered to death for good reason. And the rock ‘n’ roll classic ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’, which is a little too long for its own good; but it is overall enjoyable. The problem is that the other six tracks sandwiched between the mentioned tracks above are quite… bland? Which ultimately highlights my problem with most of The Who’s catalogue. You’ll always get a handful of great songs per album, but the majority of it will be largely forgettable. Their debut gets away with it for being fun, and ‘Tommy’ gets away with it for its ambitious concept. ‘Who’s Next’, while it sees the band slightly expand their musical ingredients, sees them merely blend in with their peers rather than stand out this time around. It’s an okay album. It probably didn’t need to be included in the 1001 albums list, to be honest; as it is one of The Who’s weaker efforts in my opinion. It’s enjoyable, with a few standouts; but that’s it. 3/5

I feel like ‘Untitled (Black Is)’ is more than just a music album. It is more of an art project that effortlessly blends R&B, soul, and funk in what is essentially an audio museum; embracing the culture, the struggle, the celebration, and future of black people and black culture. It’s a massive tracklist at 20 entries; mostly songs, but also spoken poetry interludes to lead from one track to the next. The lyrics are extremely direct, and the music is very low-fi; yet still grabs you by the shoulders and demands your attention. Rarely do you hear an album hit so many moods and atmospheres and still be a coherent piece. ‘Untitled (Black Is)’ is reflective, it is hopeful, it is wishful, it is somewhat angry, it is happy, and it is brutally observational. Musically it is incredibly multicultural, grabbing sounds and inspiration from the sounds of Africa and incorporating it wonderfully into western R&B sensibilities. I seem to say this a lot - but when it comes statement projects, such as this one, it’s very hard to apply a number to it; because I don’t believe the critical and commercial success of its release was on the mind of the artist while making it. They’re simply using the artistic medium of music as a platform to spread the message, rather than hoping that outlets like Rolling Stone or NME are going to drop it on their top lists of the relevant year. Regardless, ‘Untitled (Black Is)’, left a pretty hard impression on me. Not only is it enjoyable from a musical and production standpoint, but I also believe the topics are incredibly relevant today and an album like this is absolutely needed out in the world. Hell, it was needed years ago, too; and that’s the sad part of it all. It really is a beautiful art piece; and if you go into it with your expectations being set that it is more than just an album to arbitrarily judge, I think people of any culture can appreciate it on some level. 5/5

This will be a sequel to my review of John Prine’s self titled album: Country music is like those Super Mario and Zelda games released for the Phillips CD-i. It’s that ‘Gollum’ game developed by Daedalic Entertainment the came out in 2023 (so bad it put them out of business). It’s the equivalent of being forced to play ‘Superman 64’ on the Nintendo 64. It’s the ‘WWE 2K20’ of the WWE 2K annual series. It’s like being forced to play ‘Rogue Warrior’. Or ‘Battlefield 2042’ at launch; oh yeah, that game. Have you ever tried to suddenly move with a broken shoulder? That’s what country music is like. When you stub your toe on the corner of your bed? That’s country music! You ever had a migraine so bad that it makes you vomit and confines you to your bed because any form of light just makes it worse? Yeah, that’d be country music. Back pain? Country music. It’s like getting severe leg cramps due to lack of potassium. Have you ever been shown an overly long YouTube video that your friend, who is right beside you, thinks is hilarious; but it’s 2 minutes too long and you have to sort of fake laugh so you don't offend them? Then you think “well that’s that”, but they unfortunately show you another one? That’s country music! Listening to this album was like pouring milk into your cereal, but the milk is well past its sell-by date and is just a gloopy and smelly mess; completely ruining your morning. It was like being stuck in highway traffic with your kid having a meltdown in the back seat. It’s like watching the first season of ‘The Office’. It’s like watching the last season of ‘Scrubs’. It’s like watching the entirety of ‘Grey’s Anatomy’. It was like having my toddler scream in my left ear, and my cat screaming in my right ear. It was like watching ‘Kick-Ass 2’ right after the original. It’s like watching every mediocre spaghetti western on the planet (and they’re all mediocre). Hell, you’d do better to listen to a Wesley Willis album than this. It was like eating chicken that you thought was cooked properly, but you realize after a few bites that it could have used another 10 minutes in the oven and now you possibly have salmonella. It's like that time my toddler got hand, foot and mouth disease and passed it onto me. It's like my psoriasis when I have a bad flare up. It's like that time I fell and fractured my ankle. Fergie's rendition of the American national anthem at the NBA All-Star game a few years back is better than listening to this. Phew. I did listen to it, by the way. All the way through. And I hated it. It's just cowboy nonsense and country clichès. I have yet to come in contact with a country album that makes me even consider turning my opinion around on the genre. 1/5

Breaking away from my usual word salad reviews - I don’t really know to describe my feelings on this album in a lengthy manner. So this one will be short. It’s a fun record. The song selection, and renditions of said song selection, is actually quite excellent. 'You Don't Own Me', 'Do Re Mi', 'Mockingbird', 'Will You Love Me Tomorrow?', and 'Wishin' And Hopin'' are all particular standouts. But the true highlight of it all is Dusty Springfield's voice. She sings with a rare kind of warmth that is both relaxing on the ears and engages you with her great technique and how she can flawlessly hit every note that is thrown her way. I give this album an appreciative 3/5. Because as good as the songs are throughout this tracklist, there are better renditions of them out in the world, in my opinion. It's also hard to really look at 'A Girl Called Dusty' as anything groundbreaking or remarkable in the grand scheme of things - as it feels like it merely exists to showcase her vocals; and that's fine. But is it '1001 albums' I must experience before I die worthy? Not really. However, it is a fun listen nonetheless; even if it isn't the sort of LP I would go out of my way to play through my setup.

The generator is not being kind to me this week. Honestly, this is not my thing. It's a short tracklist of songs that are bordering on folk rock that lacks innovation, and doesn’t have the lyrical poetry that gives the genre the kick it needs; while also featuring flavours of country (which, given my previous reviews - I clearly have a notable disdain for). They always say "you should never judge a book by its cover". But to quote my beloved Star Wars franchise: when I saw this pop up I immediately thought "I have a bad feeling about this"; and those feelings, it seems, were completely justified. The instrumentation has an atmosphere of just going through the motions, and the only examples of when I found this album in any way interesting was when I discovered Fred Neil was the guy who wrote 'Everybody's Talkin''; which I feel is the only time the lyrics were engaging, and the only time melody and production appears to have had serious work put in. There is also the last track 'Cynicrustpetefredjohn Raga', which is a 7+ minute intense instrumental where the experimentation (the only time there actually is experimentation on the album) can be appreciated. Lyrically and from a vocal standpoint is where I feel the LP hits those country elements. Cliche, sad, and "storyteller" lyrics that just lack any kind of punch or relatability to elevate the dull flow of the tracklist. Now, Fred Neil does have a competent voice, but it sounds like almost every other country/folk singer you could possibly find out there. It almost seems like he's trying to channel Johnny Cash and similar performers, but he can't seem to shape it into his own thing. I said it before in a previous review: you'd do better to listen to the masters, rather than the master of none. And I'm certainly not a big fan of Johnny Cash's discography. Given my negative feelings on this album, you'd be surprised to learn I did listen to it twice just to see if there was anything that would change my mind on it. But my thoughts remained the same. It's bland. It's boring. It's uninventive. And if it was among a movie cast featuring the plethora of other folk albums that exist it would be 'Generic Folk Album #264'. Bar the very, very few highlights; it's just a bad record in general. 2/5

Any time I get exposed to international artists that I otherwise wouldn't have known about, it's a good thing. While I have never heard anything by Khaled in the past, I can certainly hear why he is highly regarded in the genre of raï. This is an overall good, albeit very bloated, album. There is a question of the language barrier being an issue for a piece of work that is heavy on vocal performances. But I'm no stranger to it being a big fan of the Japanese music scene. I only note this because I have virtually no point of reference to really properly review this; as I'm not even that familiar with raï. Khaled seemingly draws from influences all over the world. From western pop sensibilities, to disco, to funk, soul, and a surprisingly beautiful cover of John Lennon's 'Imagine', adding many grandiose elements to the song's simplicity yet not taking anything away from it artistically whatsoever. The vocals are all on point, and the production is wonderful. Another particular standout track is 'C'est la nuit' - a mid-tempo ballad with an absolutely gorgeous chorus that really showcases Khaled's strength as a vocalist. 'Kenza' is a fun album, and if you're put off by the fact the songs are in an entirely different language then I promise you the flavourful musicianship and top notch production should more than make up for it. My main issue, as mentioned above, is that it feels much longer than it probably should be. I give this a solid 3/5; this wouldn't be music I would actively seek out, but it has enough elements and ingredients that appeal to me to enjoy it if it's playing.

Probably one of the strongest R.E.M. albums you're likely to come across. Right off the bat - the hit singles this album produced are absolutely legendary. The lyrically cryptic and catchy acoustic rock song 'The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite'. The wonderfully orchestral and unforgettable 'Everybody Hurts'. The absolute early 90's pop culture filled 'Man on the Moon'. And the beautiful, sombre, melodic piano ringing throughout the brilliant 'Nightswimming'. Are these songs the very definition of what popular music sounded like in the early-to-mid 90's? Absolutely. But it's nothing that should be held against them; as they walk a fine line between being commercial and containing artistic credibility effortlessly. Other highlights include: the haunting, mid-tempo track 'Try Not To Breathe', the uplifting 'Sweetness Follows', the ridiculously energetic 'Ignoreland', and the gorgeous ballad 'Find The River' to end the album. Lyrically, 'Automatic For The People' on paper sounds like the most depressing thing you can put yourself through - as it sees the band take on themes of mortality, loss, and sadness. However they do an amazing job of framing these themes, mostly, on looking forward. Letting the listener know that they're not alone, that there is happiness to be found among the dull ashes. Often cryptic, and often left up to the listener to interpret what it is they are saying on their own; it is worth giving this album a few listens to draw your own conclusions. But you will have no problem finding something to relate to. It's actually one of the strongest aspects of the album. I also find that R.E.M. are very underrated as musicians, particular Mike Mills; whose basslines are absolutely crucial to the band's sound. They're melodic and complex, yet never seem to outshine the other elements. And Michael Stipe is also an all time vocalist. What he lacks in range, he makes up for in translating the mood and emotion of a song so well to the listener; as if he himself is a chameleon of sorts. He can sound ecstatic when the song needs it, yet sounds absolutely devastated when the song calls for something more moody; and that's on top of his unique voice being fairly good on a technical level. 'Automatic For The People' is an all round solid record; and is an absolutely perfect representation of R.E.M. as a band. Huge hit singles, solid deep cuts, with only a handful of tracks letting it down a little bit. If there was ever an album that could summarize the sound of pop/rock in the 90's, it would be this one. Genius lyrics, top musicianship, and influential as hell. 4/5

While some, probably most, consider ‘Are You Experienced’ to be Hendrix’s best album (I mean it is among the top rated on this site) - I often found either this release or ‘Electric Ladyland’ to be the best of the trilogy of Hendrix albums; and it can honestly change between the two on any given day. ‘Are You Experienced’ was a very heavy record; just absolute firestorm rock music with Hendrix seemingly pushing his guitars to their absolute limit. It’s one hell of a fun LP. ‘Axis: Bold As Love’, however, sees Hendrix evolve and take some other avenues. It’s not nearly as full-on as its predecessor, with more varied tempos and Hendrix diving more into the sea of funk and psychedelic. But I do hold the opinion of ‘Axis’ being the better album all the more for it. ‘Wait Until Tomorrow’, ‘Little Wing’, the lengthy ‘If 6 Was 9’, the riff heavy ‘You Got Me Floatin’’, the legendary ‘Castles Made Of Sand’, the smoky ballad ‘One Rainy Wish’, and the absolutely addictive finisher ‘Bold As Love’. Sure, these are my particular highlights. But there isn’t a bad track on here; and the tracklist just flows so damn well. It’s over before you know it, but you leave it feeling so satisfied. While the musicality is little more restrained, it leads the way for Jimi Hendrix to really showcase his vocals; and on the more down tempo tracks you are treated to his more soulful side. So not only was this man an absolute monster when playing guitar, but he could also hang with some of the best vocalists out there. Jimi Hendrix was absolutely superhuman. It’s a fantastic LP in just about every aspect. The variation in styles, tempos, and production make up an absolutely phenomenal tracklist and, arguably, a collection of Hendrix’s best work. The man was ahead of his time, and there’s very few artists before or after his era that could match him; and ‘Axis: Bold As Love’ is a perfect showcase for that statement. 5/5

So much energy, so much anger, and so much to say. This album is packed and non-stop from start to finish; punching you in the ears with pure punk rock aggression that it’s an absolute wonder the musicianship is as expressive and complex as it is. I have gotten plenty of electronica albums on this generator that seem to be gold standards of the genre, and I feel this is one of the few times I can say the same about another genre. ‘Repeater’ is a fantastic representation of post-hardcore. The riffs throughout the tracklist are loose, often purposely sloppy; or as I prefer to call it: an organised mess. Yet songs still teeter between that and being efficiently melodic when needed. On top of it all the raw aggressive vocals add both chaos and much needed energy; as societal and personal issues are screamed with such passion you can’t help but admire it. You’re getting just getting hard hitting punk rock, but you’re also getting complex alternative music that all fuses together to create something that both sounds positively familiar and incredibly unique. Special shoutout needs to go to Joe Lally, who is absolutely shredding that bass guitar in almost every track. Highlights for me: ‘Repeater’, ‘Brendan #1’, ‘Sieve-Fisted Find’, and the intense album finisher “Shut The Door’. ‘Repeater’ is a great album. It hits that potent punk anger so well, while also allowing you to enjoy masterful compositions and surprisingly strong production. It feels like a bit of an underrated album in the sense that I think it doesn’t seem to be talked about enough. It hangs with the best punk has to offer, and rivals that of the best alternative bands out there. 4/5

Live albums generally have a mid level ceiling with me. They’re not a necessity when exploring an artist’s discography because they’re often not an actual project that has a theme, or concept, or true coherency. The quality lives and dies by the setlist and your interest will be truly subjective depending on how big of a fan you are of the particular artist. For me? I’m not a fan of blues as a sole genre. I need other flavours mixed in, otherwise I’m zoning out. I find it lacks punch, energy, and true character; and there just isn’t enough variety to really evolve it beyond the few tracks you might hear from time to time. This is really the best way I can describe this album. The only time I found it engaging was the double feature of ‘I’ve Got My Mojo Working’. Outside of that, though? Everything felt like it all blending in together far too much. It’s not egregiously bad or anything. If you’re a hardcore fan of blues then this should be right up your alley. It’s just not up my alley at all. It’s so not up my alley that’s a whole other continent away. It left almost no impression on me by the time the album was over; and outside of two tracks that perked me up due to more prominent jazz elements I genuinely disliked it. I’ll still give it an appreciative 2/5, though.

David Gray is but one of many male solo artists who partake in what I like to call "sad white boy music". He is an influential precursor to the likes of James Blunt, Lewis Capaldi, and James Arthur. Guys who seemingly picked up a guitar, weren't particularly interested in doing anything genuinely outstanding with it, and hoping to stumble across an easy melody that radio stations would eat up and play their material for decades to come. Because I can guarantee you, as I write this in work, I will be hearing David Gray on the communal radio at least twice today. I'm so glad we're living in the rise of a trend, and I apologize to my fellow millennials in advance, but 'White Ladder' by David Gray is the very definition of what is now called "co-worker music". It is millennial co-worker music. It is about as pedestrian as this genre of music gets; and every time I have had to hear the many generic hits this album produced throughout my life - 'Please Forgive Me', 'Babylon', 'This Year's Love', and 'Sail Away' - I die a little inside. Sure, they're catchy enough. But there is absolutely nothing groundbreaking or unique about them. I normally list some personal highlights but there was none. I was hoping that maybe the deep cuts on the album would at least have some standout elements but they didn't. The same tired type of crooner lyrics, even less interesting musically than the singles, and after a while Gray's voice tends to hit my ears in a negative way. He's a competent singer, but the whole tone of his voice is just off-putting to me. I can tolerate the odd radio play he seemingly gets on a daily basis, but an entire LP was getting too much. This was teetering between a 1 and a 2 from the second it popped up on the generator. But I'm nice, so it gets a 2. Because while there are many elements I dislike, I won't deny David Gray can write good melodies. But that’s about the only positive I can take away from my listen of ‘White Ladder’ this morning. 2/5

This is the second time I am going to make a comparison to Pink Floyd; and I have yet to get anything from Pink Floyd on the generator. It's heartbreaking, really. I say this because if you have any exposure to Pink Floyd's early Syd Barrett days and were in any way a fan, Donovan's 'Sunshine Superman' will be right up your street. The opening title track 'Sunshine Superman' feels like an outlier, almost like it doesn't belong on the album; as if this was the single to get people interested. Because the rest of the tracklist couldn't be any more different. One of my favourite tracks directly follows it: 'Legend Of A Girl Called Linda', a 6+ minute folk song with relaxing, almost deliberately slow, singing featuring easy floating acoustic guitar work accompanied by a very light orchestral backdrop and tasteful use of wind instruments; as Donovan lets out mystical, fantasy-esque, and wonderfully whimsical lyrics. It took me right back to the many D&D sessions I used to have more time for. And I loved every second of it. This continues into other tracks such as 'Guinevere'. 'Three Kingfishers' and 'The Fat Angel', as well - but they expand the overall sound with more Indian flavours. But it's not all medieval inspired tales; there is the excellent, self referential, finisher 'Celeste'. Donovan also litters many songs with the kind of out-of-left-field observations a lot of 60's psychedelic rock was famous for. 'Ferris Wheel', the bluesy 'Bert's Blues', the more traditional rock based 'Season Of The Witch', and the almost country-esque 'The Trip' in which he references a particularly strange experience with LCD It's a fascinating album that you can find yourself getting totally lost in. Similar to Syd Barrett, there's just something about Donovan's voice, lyricism, and musical influences that all combine to make the music so damn engaging that it will speak to you in many different ways regardless of what your state of mind is at the time. And at 10 tracks, it feels like such a perfect length to leave you satisfied and wanting so much more. I am literally sitting here wanting to dive into the dude's discography after listening to this album three times this morning. 'Sunshine Superman', I feel, will make any fan of psychedelic music wish they were around to watch it all happen in real time during the late 60's. Between this, Pink Floyd's 'Piper At The Gates Of Dawn', The Beatles 'Revolver', Hendrix's trilogy of albums, and more. It really seems like a time of prominent artists creating whatever the hell came to their heads - and having record labels around that were willing to finance it to let it flourish. And it's a shame that the music industry today doesn't operate that way any more. Artists back then were allowed the freedom to work their way up to a magnum opus, whereas today it feels that has to be an artist's starting point. Anyway - getting back on topic - this album is a psychedelic masterpiece and I cannot stop listening to it. 5/5

Honestly, this one is very hard to really review. I think your experience with it will really depend on what your mindset is when you hit play on that first track. I could sit here all day and list off how great the drum programming is. Or how the orchestral backdrops mixing with instruments and flavours from all around the world over solid electronica makes for a very unique experience. Or how the mixture of atmospheres will have you engaged for the entirety of the 1 hour+ length. I could. But I feel like 'OK' goes beyond just discussing the details, and more into the feelings and emotions Talvin Singh was attempting to convey to the listener. As someone who has recently gone on their own personal journey of self discovery in an attempt to fix myself and realize the importance of self acceptance, this album really spoke to me. As I listened in the darkness of a mid-October morning - before getting ready for the day - I almost felt like I was transported into a meditative state as the music played, despite how up-tempo most of tracklist is. This album is more than just music, it is a spiritual and artistic journey. Sometimes I tend to look at the overall reviews on this site before or while I listen to an album; and I was worried I wasn't going to like this. But after a complete listen I found the negative reviews are kind of baffling. But it's good to live in a world where we all have different tastes. 'OK' is honestly a great work of art featuring familiar elements that are typically incompatible, yet are ultimately forced to be; and the end result is something wonderful that you virtually never get to hear. I am very happy with this nice surprise the generator gave me today. 4/5

A quick look through my previous reviews will reveal two things: 1) I despise country music. 2) I'm not really too fond of pure blues, either. What happens when we combine the two? Well... Creedence Clearwater Revival's 'Bayou Country' is what happens. An album that isn't totally awful, but an album that failed to keep me interested in the slightest. The only solace I had with this entry was that it was fairly short at 7 tracks; and that ‘Proud Mary’ is a decent song. I’m familiar with this band’s bigger hits, and even those hits aren’t exactly high on my list. However, ‘Bayou Country’ is fairly listenable, despite the merging of two genres I’m not a fan of. The musicianship is efficient, vocals are fine and energetic, and the tracklist flows nicely enough. But overall, it feels like a fun jam session rather than a conscious project. Sort of how Paul McCartney’s band ‘Wings’ debut album ‘Wild Life’ is an unfocused effort that sounds like a band figuring things out instead of releasing a coherent “finished” product. Nothing much really stood out as a listener. It’s fine. It’s inoffensive. But even in the realm of blues flavoured rock, surely there were better choices for the 1001 albums list than this? Hell, I’m willing to bet there are better Creedence Clearwater Revival albums that hopefully made the cut. 2/5

It feels like the Beastie Boys were a bit of time capsule group. You couldn’t escape them in the 90’s. Their combination of anger, energy, scream-rap, on top of surprisingly great musicianship and expert turntable scratching were seemingly unmatched; and then they just disappeared from the pop culture consciousness. This is 20 tracks of a pure musical explosion; influences from all over the musical sphere are apparent in almost every segment of the album; from punk rock riffs, electronica, African beats, wind instruments, jazz, and heavy elements of funk. You could probably find other works with just as much variety, sure, but you’d have to really look; and I doubt you’d find something with so much of an angry punch as ‘Ill Communication’. The structure is also phenomenal. Nearly half the album is instrumental interludes, but they’re not the filler you might think they are. They are a means to an end - to transition you from one style of music to the next - and some of them are legitimate highlights. Lyrics screaming with so much angry bravado, social commentary, and world issues - you’ll have no problem finding something here to relate to; and the delivery is truly something to behold. Think Rage Against The Machine, but with hip hop elements. It’s an excellent representation of the group and the 20 tracks seem to absolutely fly by. You’ll probably want to check out some of their other stuff and I totally recommend that you do; but if this is your first exposure to the Beastie Boys you could do a lot worse. It’s a really solid LP that captures the feel of the mid 90’s amazingly well. 4/5

It often feels like I repeat myself with these reviews; and it’s hard not to. I could list off how the amount of variety in Brian Eno’s ‘Here Come The Warm Jets’ is absolutely astounding. And it is, and I have certainly said it about enough albums so far. But that doesn’t really sell this particular LP or do it justice. This album is the absolute definition of an artist who is simply putting whatever comes into his head to tape via a collaborative effort and simply does not give a flying fuck if you like it or not. The action packed opener ‘Needles In The Camel’s Eye’. The extremely catchy and weird-as-hell ‘The Paw Paw Negro Blowtorch’. The mid-tempo and and almost urgent atmosphere of ‘Cindy Tells Me’. ‘Blank Frank’, which walks a fine line between psychedelic and prog rock. The gospel-esque and haunting ‘Some Of Them Are Old’. And the noisy, chaotic finisher title track ‘Here Come The Warm Jets’. All legitimate highlights that keep the album’s momentum going strong. If you’re familiar with Brian Eno for the works he was involved with as a producer, then you would be happy to know that this is where the album shines the most. Having listened to this masterpiece twice now, it almost felt like a totally different project both times; as there are layers upon layers of different noises and sounds that you can pick up on. It adds so much replayability to the tracklist. Brian Eno has always found a way to make what I like to call ‘accessible avant-garde’ music. He finds ways to take melodies that are easy on the ears, yet fill them with artistic elements; playing around with time signatures and creating sounds that make the listener wonder what equipment he is using and how exactly is he using it. If you can’t tell, I absolutely loved this album. This is something Eno went into with an artistic vision in mind and followed through with it on every second presented on the tracklist. It’s punk in spirit, yet almost pretentiously artistic in execution. But for me, personally, it’s an LP with almost endless layers of discovery just waiting to be found. 5/5

Oh wow - a second Beastie Boys album in the span of 3 days? Wasn't expecting that. Luck of the draw, I guess. While I always enjoy listening to an artist's discography from start to finish to hear all the highs and lows of their body of work, and their evolution from the early days onwards - it can also be interesting to go from a slightly later album to an earlier project. In this case, two days ago I got the Beastie Boys’ brilliant ‘Ill Communication’, which presented a hip hop group that had their fleshed out sound all figured out. Their second LP ‘Paul’s Boutique’ sees them at a more primitive level. That’s not to say this album is bad. It shouldn’t be compared to a later album; but it’s hard not to do it. ‘Paul’s Boutique’ is a much more conservative effort; the band is hitting all of the braggadocious bravado they're known for, but it's missing the energy and anger that almost makes you want to punch the air while listening. And the production is missing the daring variety in musicality. The beats are fine and serviceable, and the musicianship is nice on the ears, but it's missing that wide experimentation. Simply put, 'Paul's Boutique' is the foundation for what was to come later on down the road. It's a fine hip hop album and it does stand out when you compare it to what was popular at the time it was released. However, there are just mere hints at what this group could do, rather than it being a full showcase. It's also a little too bloated for its own good. With the lack of variety it actually feels longer than 'Ill Communication' even though it's slightly shorter in length; and at times it felt like songs were kind of blending in to each other. Regardless, it's not a bad album. It's actually really enjoyable, and it feels like I am unfairly comparing it to stronger efforts that were released years later. But I also feel it's kind of fair to judge it based on the Beastie Boys' overall discography. And although it is a slight evolution from their debut 'Licensed To Ill', it is still very much a blueprint album that the group would later springboard from to create much more diverse and daring work. 3/5

The term “sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll” isn’t expressed as often these days as it used to be, and that can probably be attributed to the fact that there just isn’t a lot of music like this being made anymore. Because if there is any album that has popped up on the generator (so far) that incapsulates that phrase it’s definitely this one. ‘Raw Power’ is an accurate title. Just a half hour of pure energy to the point that it almost feels like you’re listening to a live album. The punk-esque opener ‘Search And Destroy’ punches you right in the ears with its addictive riffs. The smoky, autobiographical ‘Gimme Danger’. The heavy, angry, and energetic ‘Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell’. The not-so-subtle, steamy ‘Penetration’. The more rock ‘n’ roll, 60’s flavoured ‘Shake Appeal’. And the brilliant finisher ‘Death Trip’ - with its meta lyrics of just saying “fuck it, we’re doing it our way”. All fantastic tracks. It’s an absolute masterclass in variety and coherency. Although Iggy had a difficult time working with guitarist Williamson on this album, his riffs combined with Iggy’s raw, energetic vocals are a damn near perfect match along the 8 tracks. The 8 tracks that just seem to arrive, raise hell, and leave before you even know what happened. Influences are worn on their sleeves so proudly on each song, yet it’s still undeniably their own sound; with lyrics that are fairly simple on the surface, yet layered with multiple meanings. It’s a super fun album; and I hope there’s people out there who haven’t heard much (or any) of Iggy Pop’s work that find their way to discover ‘Raw Power’ (among other great releases of his) and hear just how much of a powerful figure he actually was in music; that he’s not just the old topless guy who appeared on bizarre insurance commercials. His music has a voice that demands to be heard, a rebellious spirit that feels unbreakable, and an energy that is almost unmatched. 4/5

While taking a cheeky look at the reviews as this album was playing, I have seen a bunch of reviews call this “pub rock”, or “generic”; and while I find myself in agreement with these statements. I also want to add that nearly all of the songs on this album, to me, embodies the very soulless department of commercialized, corporatized, and sanitized rock music. The kind of rock music designed to be safe. The kind of rock music designed to be immediately played on a daytime radio show that your co-worker, who loves everything the radio plays and finds zoo morning radio shows hysterical, probably enjoys. But, probably most insultingly, this is the kind of rock music that immediately comes to mind when a TV show needs a outro track. Or a generic action movie that needs a generic up-tempo track to start the end credits on. Like this album is fine? The Black Crowe’s show their influences proudly (spoiler alert: it’s mainly The Rolling Stones). However, I don’t feel like they’re necessarily making anything groundbreaking or standout worthy here. It’s fairly inoffensive, the musicianship is serviceable, and the lyrics are pretty standard rock ‘n’ roll stuff. But it just feels like I’ve heard it all before, and I have heard it done better by artists from an era when a release like this would have been a little lost in the shuffle. I’m sure it was advantageous to the band that this might have been seen as a breath of fresh air after the hair metal stuff fizzled out in the 80’s. But it’s like saying the 1998 remake of ‘Psycho’ was great because it’s basically a shot-for-shot recreation of a suspenseful 60’s classic after the bombardment of slasher movies from the 80’s and 90’s. Anyway, ‘Shake Your Money Maker’ is just okay. Yes, it is generic pub rock that feels derivative (rather than inspired by) of bluesy rock ‘n’ roll from the 70’s. But it isn’t totally bad by any means; it’s just insanely forgettable and safe to the point that it left virtually no impression on me as the album ended. 2/5

Very rarely do I come across an album with an identity crisis in which said identity crisis simultaneously works in its favour and -in places- to its detriment. My knowledge of this band was restricted to the more dance orientated version of the song 'Brimful Of Asha' (I much prefer the version on this LP, to be honest) that dominated MTV and radio airwaves back in the late 90's and early 2000's. In fact, I believe it is still in heavy rotation to this day. So I was very surprised with how much variety 'When I Was Born For The 7th Time' presented with me with. From use of strings, to solid use of tambouras, sitars, and the harmonium - alongside flavours of electronica, hip hop, and Indian sensibilities; and all of these elements are heavily layered over a britpop sound very similar to other bands around at the time. It sounds like an absolute trip, and it is. But it's also a case of just too many flavours being thrown into the pot. Some of it tastes amazing, but it could have used less salt and paprika; and why are we mixing chicken with the beef? I hope that anecdote made sense lol. While I do love an LP that features a mountain of variety, I also think coherency is important. If it feels like I'm listening to one of my many daily playlists instead of an actual, conscious, project it raises some flags for me. As I mentioned above, it works in its favour and to its detriment. Some tracks on here are brilliant. The mesmerizing 'Sleep On The Left Side'. The britpop classic 'Brimful Of Asha'. The beautiful 'Good To Be On The Road Back Home Again'. And the excellent cover of The Beatles' 'Norwegian Wood', which fits their sound perfectly; just a sample of tracks where the band are at their most focused. But, to its detriment, jumping from a tried and true britpop track to pure hip hop, or pure hip hop to acoustic rock is insanely jarring - with almost nothing in between to lead the listener to the drastic change. 'When I Was Born For The 7th Time' is good. But it could have been something brilliant. It's an album with some serious high points, but the lack of overall focus cause the low points to be hard to overlook. I feel there's no artistic vision here, but rather a blank canvas the band simply decided to splash every colour they could onto; and whether it was great, good, or just didn't fit wasn't really a priority. In saying all of this, however, I would still recommend listening to it; as it is an interesting LP despite its problems. Just be ready to hear a lot of potential go to waste. 3/5

I knew it was coming… I knew I would get a Bob Dylan album on the generator soon. It's as if my intuition sensors were getting more intense to warn me. Right out of the gate - Bob Dylan LP’s have a ceiling with me. The man can put some seriously engaging lyrics down on paper. But as someone who loves good layered production, early Bob Dylan works tend to lack this; and that's by design. And his voice, while it certainly stands out, isn't exactly the most pleasing on the ears. 'The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan' is probably some of his strongest material, too. So I feel like today the Dylan ceiling has been reached and is now unbreakable. Musically it's that early folk sound he was all in on; guitar strummin' and harmonica... blowin'? through each track. Some songs actually having some excellent melody work. The classic 'Blowin' In The Wind'. The angry and quite direct 'Masters Of War'. The floaty 'A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall. And 'Don't Think Twice, It's All Right'. But nothing else really stands out to me, personally. I suppose your tolerance for this album will depend on whether you're into Dylan more for his lyrics or you genuinely love stripped back acoustic folk. Lyrically, he lets his thoughts on the government and war be known in an endearingly naive way. There's a level of honesty that shines brightly in the more protest orientated tracks. You don't have to think or look for the meaning of his words as he is quite direct; almost shockingly so at times. He also shines in the love songs, too - as he lets his more storytelling nature out. I can honestly almost forgive the lack of musical variety given just how bloody good his lyrics are. There's not really much else I can say. Genre-wise this just simply isn't my thing. But Bob Dylan does break out and stand out amongst his peers due to the the power of his lyricism. There's a Japanese artist I'm a huge fan of, Ayumi Hamasaki, whose career began and took off in a similar manner during the late 90's. Her voice was not great (although it got better as her career progressed). However, people gravitated towards her words and she went on to be one of most successful artists in the history of that country. Bob Dylan, similarly, I would not class as a great vocalist - nor a great musician, but I could listen to his words and the messages within those words all day. 3/5

Not that I’m qualified in general, but I feel like it’s damn near impossible to actually talk about this album and break it down unless you have any actual experience in improv fusion jazz. Two tracks long, 40 minutes in length, and just some of the most chill instrumental work that you can sit and relax to. It’s moody, it’s smoky, it’s delivered in a simple manner, yet it’s delicately complex in its construction and production. I actually really enjoyed it, even if it’s not the flavour of jazz I would typically seek out. But I also think it should get bonus points for really kicking off an unforgettable period of the genre and being a pretty important release in how influential it was in the years and decades that followed; and I can certainly hear how it influenced a number of albums I happen to love. Maybe I have some writers block today. Maybe my knowledge of jazz needs some work. Or maybe this is just an album that needs to be listened to, rather than it being recommended by mere words. But it’s certainly an LP that has me stumped for words. If you like contemporary fusion jazz, and/or like to experience a bit of important music history - this is totally up your street. An appreciative 3/5.

Another example of a concept album in its early form, the first one that I got on the generator was The Who’s ‘Tommy’, but this album is less of a “storyline” concept, and more of a “thematic” concept. The theme here being the fear of globalisation, and the loss of a societal culture that, even in 1968, may have already faded away beyond repair. But it isn’t a viewpoint that is dangerously violent and stupid as today’s bogus, misguided, “movements”. It’s far more insightful, deep, nuanced, and accepting in nature; it’s the idea of the overall population saying goodbye to an identity that, in this case, made them fundamentally British. ‘The Village Green Preservation Society’ sees The Kinks purposely at their most “uncool”. Compositions that you could almost write off given the more progressive stuff their peers were coming out with at the time, yet they are completely saved by the sheer character injected into each song. Bouncy, whimsical, and full of fun melodies. You can almost taste the flavour of British air that seems to fill the minutes and seconds of each and every track. And no song is too long to the point where it gets tiring, and no song that is too short to be unmemorable. Ray Davies’ lyrics are also nothing short of spectacular here. He’s able to hit on every theme with such a sense of ironic enjoyment and simple delivery so effortlessly it just suits the music perfectly. He’s able to keep the concept of this album going strong by framing it through different perspectives and situations that you can’t help but stay engaged throughout the entire runtime. From a person flipping through a photo album, to finding solace in a place you found happiness in the past; where you can be accepting of your own shortcomings - yet still find strength in the familiar. There are just layers upon layers of meaning. I can absolutely see how this album was considered a flop at the time it was released. But I’m also very happy it was reevaluated in the years that followed so that it enjoyed a new lease on life and has become a highly regarded, highly influential LP. It’s a fantastic album. Music that compliments its masterful lyrics. And lyrics that compliment its colourful and vibrant compositions. It absolutely stands out among the band’s best work - and The Kinks do have a monster discography to pick and choose your favourites from. Topical to the point where it can stand the test of the time, and filled with so much character that you can’t help but get lost in it as you listen. 4/5

I forgot how much I loved the opening track ‘He’s The Greatest Dancer’. Edwards addictive, melodic, fast paced guitar licks. Rodgers insane bass lines, and the insanely preppy strings adding so much gravitas to it. It’s quite frankly one of the greatest funk songs ever put to tape. Similarly, the same elements are all over the follow up track ‘Lost In Music’; as if it’s a wonderful companion, and both tracks just work so well together. ‘Thinking Of You’, the absolutely infamous title track ‘We Are Family’, and ‘One More Time’ are also all fantastic funk tracks on their own; and each of them could have been monster hits, as well. But let’s not forget that the faces and voices of this group are the women themselves. And while I feel the composition and production are the standouts in the more uptempo tracks. It’s the more mid-tempo and ballads where they shine the most. The smooth ‘Somebody Loves Me’, the beautiful ‘Easier To Love’, and the relaxing yet somber ‘You’re A Friend To Me’. Just gorgeous soul tracks worth listening to. The biggest, and probably most obvious, comparison I could make here is to some of Earth, Wind & Fire works. Fantastic funk with so many elements working together. Beautiful soul that you could relax to. And insanely influential R&B flavours that you can still hear in music today. I was just starting to think the generator has given me an unwanted break from funk/R&B - and I’m happy to finally receive another taste today. 4/5

Ah, I hate to give a Tom Petty album a "middle of the road" kind of rating, as there's a lot of his stuff that I really like. But this LP is just... kind of forgettable? Forgettable despite how slick the production is, and how well the pop sensibilities mix with the rock 'n' roll flavours that Petty is channelling. If there's anything that sets this album apart from its peers and influences it is just how dynamic the sound is. From the clean and fun vocals (the harmonizing chorus' on some tracks are absolutely astounding), to the music featuring smooth riffs, solid bass lines, and seamless compositions. The only problem is that, while all of these elements are done really well, they've been done before with better material. It's like watching the current day Lakers with LeBron James - sure, they're entertaining to watch and they play relatively clean basketball. But if I have the option to watch the Bulls with Michael Jordan dominating during a more "f*** you" era of NBA defense I'll probably pick that one. Personal highlights: ‘Breakdown’, ‘Strangered In The Night’, ‘Mystery Man’, and ‘American Girl’. It was good, enjoyable 70’s rock with just enough of a peek into what was to come in the 80’s. Fun to listen to as background music - to drive to, even. But as a serious listen it feels like very throwaway material. I’m a Tom Petty fan, but this isn’t the greatest representation of his output; and with the huge discography he has there’s much better LP’s that are, hopefully, on the list. 3/5

I'm not the biggest fan of Wu-Tang Clan - but at the same time I have never been overly familiar with their work; just bits and pieces here and there. I felt I could never really commit to a full LP or a full deep dive into their discography. I said it in a previous review that hip hop often lives or dies on the production table - which is why I gravitate towards the rappers that I do: OutKast, Kanye West (just his work, not him as a person), Dre, Jay-Z etc. This side of the world in hip hop I find has phenomenal lyrics and bars that I find so engaging; but I often find myself getting restless with the lack of layers in the production. That's not to say Method Man's debut 'Tical' totally lacks in bells and whistles. He must have just come off a trippy horror movie marathon or something because almost every song has haunting instrumentation over his beats. Vocal samples that seem to purposely go against the melody, moody sound effects, and sombre piano/keyboards. It's surprisingly engaging for a rap album that I would consider a more "back to basics" effort in the sea of innovation that was happening around the time. And while he's not the most technical or proficient rapper, he more than makes up for it with his wordplay and conviction. Sure, it has its fair share of confident bravado, but it's combined with his social commentary delivered through highly intelligent lyricism. I enjoyed ‘Tical'. I just wish the production had more of a kick to it. Because I admire the effort in making the tracklist darkly atmospheric, I admire his words, and I admire keeping things fundamentally simple. However, I can also see why this album flew under the radar when it was released. It's a good LP, and well worth a listen if you're in any way a fan of rap/hip hop. But I can only compare it to works I prefer - and there just happens to be a lot that I do prefer. 3/5

I have previously stated that I have a fairly mid level ceiling when it comes to live albums; as I never consider them a necessary stop when diving into an artist's discography. But like the English language - there are exceptions; and we have arrived at an exception to my general rule. In fact, I would generally consider this form of jazz to thrive on live performances and Duke Ellington's 'Ellington At Newport' does not disappoint whatsoever. I listened to the original 5 track release, seeing as Apple Music only had editions with a plethora of added tracks, since I want to get the authentic experience of each album that the generator gives me. After the brief introduction, the first track, ‘Festival Junction’, hits you. A 10 minute masterclass in what I like to call a “build up” song. What starts with simple wind instruments and ends with an explosion of bouncy brass, brilliant piano, and excellent drums with brilliant melodic work in between. It is followed up by the relaxing 'Blues To Be There' - almost tedious in its construction, but the conservative nature of it is a great counter-piece to the eclectic and exciting opener. 'Newport Up' is where I feel the primitive nature of the recording technology lets the album down just a little bit. It's one of the shorter tracks on offer and it's an uptempo attack of quick notes and fast melodies; and I feel this is where the drums were really supposed to shine, but they sound extremely muffled here. In fact they sound pretty muffled throughout the entire album, it just really stands out on this particular piece. Once again, the follow up to this track 'Jeep's Blues' is a more sombre affair - allowing the brass section to shine, with very light piano used as a backdrop as a means to apply decoration to the main course. Then we have the excellent finisher 'Diminuendo And Crescendo In Blue'; in which you can sense the band on stage having an absolute blast for 14+ minutes. Bouncy drums, the groovy brass section, with the piano backdrop adding fun loving personality to it all. It almost feels like the end credits to an excellent movie; while you sit there thinking this song is an absolute banger. And you're not turning it off until it's over. It is by far the most dance-able offering, and a perfect ending to the LP. 'Ellington At Newport' is a brilliant live album featuring some of the most efficient, technically great, musicianship you're ever likely to hear in the realm of jazz music; with a gold standard in how to construct a near perfect setlist that flows so damn seamlessly. Ellington knows when to bring the power and excitement with the more uptempo tracks; and more importantly he knows when to bring you down for a little breather in the slower, more restrained tracks. This honestly would be a perfect 5/5 if it wasn't for the actual recording hurting the sound quality a bit, which I don't hold against the album to a huge degree. But it's still worth pointing out. With that said, though, this is the kind of jazz album you could use to convince others to give the genre a chance if they think it wouldn't interest them. It's an excellent showcase of jazz, and Duke Ellington himself + his band; and it is rightfully held in high regard. 4/5

The first time I took a deep dive into The Beach Boys’ discography I couldn’t wait to get to this album given its grand reputation; and boy, when I finally did get to it I was actually underwhelmed. I thought a lot of their California beach rock stuff was better; and I thought the direction they were naturally heading in from there was exciting. 'Pet Sounds' is an almost out-of-left-field release for The Beach Boys. However, it was just last year when I decided to give it another try - I listened to the band's discography once again and 'Pet Sounds' finally clicked, seemingly out of nowhere. And as a result, a lot of their later stuff has become some of my favourite works of theirs - 'Wild Honey', 'Friends', 'Sunflower' etc. But all of that kicked off from 'Pet Sounds', an album that didn't have quite the impact it should have upon release, which has deservedly gone on to become one of the most influential works in music. Let's not beat around the bush here - this is a Brian Wilson solo album. In general, the man was the mastermind behind much of The Beach Boys' success. However, he truly expanded his musical palette and experimental nature through production techniques with 'Pet Sounds'; as he came out with complex arrangements, layering them with orchestral backdrops and instruments that were unconventional in pop music at the time. It combines to create this super rich and memorable textured sound that is unbelievably engaging. Even the vocal harmonies, which the band were famous for, sees them elevate that element to a whole new level due to the unusual chord progressions throughout the tracklist. They're as efficient as ever and absolutely gorgeous on the ears - but there's now an unmatched, almost haunting, gravitas to them. Every song is just filled with layers upon layers of sound that you can almost pinpoint new discoveries every time you listen. It's also somewhat of a concept album - as it follows a narrative arc about growing up and struggling with the onslaught of the emotional changes a person goes through as they enter adulthood; something that is incredibly relatable to just about everyone. And given what we know about Brian Wilson, his life, and the people around him - it almost makes it a sombre, almost sobering, experience while listening to it. Personal highlights: The legendary hits 'Wouldn't It Be Nice' and 'God Only Knows'. The ethereal 'You Still Believe In Me'. The epic and progressive 'I'm Waiting For The Day'. The beautiful, engaging, and almost relaxing instrumental 'Let's Go Away For Awhile'. The catchy and bouncy 'Sloop John B'. The brilliant and chime filled 'I Know There's An Answer'. And the wonderful mid-tempo piece 'I Just Wasn't Made For These Times'. There are no shortage of hits, amazing deep cuts, and plenty of experimentation to sink your teeth into. I could almost forgive someone's first impressions of 'Pet Sounds' to be something along the lines of 'is this it?'. That was my reaction, too, upon first listening to it. But its reputation almost does it a disservice; as it expects a first time listener to be hit with something so unique it doesn't quite sound like anything else out there in the world of music. But it eventually grows on you as you give it deeper listens; and you hear just how unusual these songs really were at the time - while still being very accessible, and how much influence it had on artists in the years and decades that followed. It’s a phenomenally daring work of art, and simply one of the greatest albums of all time. 5/5

Two solo efforts from Wu-Tang Clan members in the span of 3 days - it’s almost a repeat of what happened with the Beastie Boys a week ago. But it at least gave me a point of reference, as I’m not too big a fan of Wu-Tang Clan, nor was I too hot on Method Man’s debut when it generated 2 days ago (although I still liked it overall). This album, though? I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. This is somewhat of a concept album, as every song hits you with a theme of crime. Almost like Ghostface came up with 20+ screenplays for modern, completely off-the-wall, gangster movies and managed to gather a plethora of other artists and producers to join in and “guest star” in them; Wu-Tang Clan themselves, Ne-Yo, Trife da God, Theodore Unit, Megan Rochell, B.I.G, Ice Cube, and MF Doom. It’s legitimately an impressive list of all-stars. Ghostface, much like Method Man on his debut, isn’t the most technically amazing rapper out there. But he makes up for it with lyrics that speak at you with a raw honesty - and sometimes the most absurd humour. But where this album really shines is in just how eclectic it is. Ghostface is working with a wide range of producers and the tracklist is just layers upon layers of samples and instrumentation of different genres being placed over fundamentally great hip hop beats. From contemporary jazz, light rock, piano based pop, R&B, orchestral backdrops, and funk. I was honestly worried when I saw the sheer amount of tracks on offer - but the variety in styles helps to keep it engaging as hell. So while it is a slightly bloated LP, it is never boring. I had a really good time with this one. The concept, the lyrics, the production, and the variety of styles all combine to make this one of the stronger hip hop albums I have come across on the generator so far. It almost makes one want to check out the group efforts of Wu-Tang Clan; as I may have dismissed them too harshly. I don’t know. Either way, ‘Fishscale’ is a must listen for any fan of the genre. 4/5

Yesterday was the first time I actually didn't have time to write down my thoughts on an album - so my streak is broken! At least I still listened and rated it. Nothing to do with this particularly album, I just wanted to let that out. 'American Idiot', huh? The album that totally revitalised Green Day and gave their longevity a huge jolt after a decline in general interest and sales - despite solid albums like 'Insomniac', 'Nimrod', and the brilliant compilation 'International Superhits!'. Hell, even 'Warning:' is a bit of an underrated discography entry for the band, featuring some good deep cuts and genuine hits on its own. But there's no denying that most of their, albeit falling, commercial success was riding the success of their breakout LP 'Dookie' (a pop punk masterpiece). 'American Idiot' was a result of the lost tapes for an album that was going to be titled 'Cigarettes and Valentines'. And instead of just re-recording what they lost, they started from scratch. Commercially, it was by far the best thing that could have happened to them. But is this album as balls-to-the-wall amazing as its reputation would lead you to believe? Let's break that down. 'American Idiot' is one of the most ambitious pop punk albums you are ever likely to hear - released at a time where you could say the genre had hit its mainstream peak; as a few years later My Chemical Romance would almost rival it in this department with 'The Black Parade'; and I feel like the genre hasn’t seen that kind of success since. ‘American Idiot’, a concept album driven by the narrative of a character who eventually goes by the name of St. Jimmy. Who despises conformity and is stuck in a suburban life being exposed to media saturation. He leaves his home town and goes on a self destructive journey framed around rebellion and freedom. But through the events he goes through and decisions he makes, he ends up struggling with addiction, heartbreak, and the ultimate hollowness of his newfound lifestyle. Eventually he lets go of all that - and comes to the realisation that he must find purpose, not through lashing out at society, but rather searching within himself for the answers. The narrative arc is but a mere backdrop and a means for Green Day to step out of the off-the-wall observational based pop punk they had become comfortable doing and run right into protest anthems that, in all honesty, completely stand the test of time given the political and societal climate we seem to live in now. Songs like ‘American Idiot’ and ‘Holiday’, that directly call out government control and the negative effects of the almost brainwashing nature of the media. The epic 9+ minute suites ‘Jesus of Suburbia’ and ‘Homecoming’ that walk a fine line between pushing the narrative of the storyline forward while also making plenty of critiques on society at large. The tracklist also has its fair share of introspective songs, like the massive hits ‘Boulevard Of Broken Dreams’ and ‘Wake Me Up When September Ends’. It’s quite a a mixture that’s all layered on top of a Green Day sound that is comfortably familiar with its catchy riffs, fun drumming, and hard bass lines. But they’ve somehow added so much gravitas to it. They sound louder, deeper, and so much more confident than on their previous LP’s. They knew, once a rock opera was the direction, what they needed to do and in that regard they pass with flying colours. The problem is that for all the mighty highs Green Day achieve on ‘American Idiot’, there is a certain level of forgettable tracks in between them. ‘St. Jimmy’, ‘Give Me Novacaine’, ‘Extraordinary Girl’, ‘Letterbomb’, and ‘Whatshername’ - all fine tracks. But sees them fall backwards a little in confidence and they seem like entries to merely fill up the tracklist, moreso than major contributors despite the lyrical content. It’s honestly hard to really give this a proper rating because it truly is a 3.5/5 album, in my opinion. The high points are good enough to gravitate it to a 4, but the lower points stand out enough to keep it grounded at a 3. But I ultimately decided on giving this a 4 because this site doesn’t like .5’s, and also because the impact ‘American Idiot’ had cannot be overstated; not just for Green Day’s career, but also its effect on the pop punk scene in general. The fact is most of it stands the test of time for a reason - and you’re guaranteed to find at least some appreciation in it if you’re in any way a fan of pop punk. If you’re a hardcore fan of Green Day, on the other hand, chances are ‘American Idiot’ is probably on your Mount Rushmore. As a huge fan of the genre myself, I think it’s solid and worth listening to for the high points alone. 4/5

100 Albums in. Wow. Only what? 3 years and a bit to go? I honestly can't wait to see what else the generator pops up for me as it has already been quite the eclectic journey through many musical avenues; some of which I never would have explored had I not been doing this project. So we close the book on one milestone and climb onto the next with Bon Jovi’s ‘Slippery When Wet’. A pretty explosive LP that took elements of heavy metal, injected it with pop flavours to make the genre more radio friendly, and kept the popularity of the ever polarizing sub-genre of hair metal going strong in the 80's. It can be a good or bad thing depending on your views and tastes, and whether they align with anthems that feel designed for big stadiums; which is what I have always associated Bon Jovi with. And for me, this side of metal music has always been a mixed bag. I can say the same for 'Slippery When Wet'; there's a lot to love here. But it's so entrapped in its own genre that it almost becomes a tiring listen... almost. You can’t deny the absolutely timeless hits ‘You Give Love A Bad Name’, ‘Livin’ On A Prayer’, and ‘Wanted Dead Or Alive’ are still absolute bangers to this day. Unbelievably heavy and catchy riffs, drums that smack you in the ear with such force you can’t help but pay attention, and slick production so clean you could eat a salad from the surface. And you can rest assured that the album is full of similar tracks that are layered with different flavours; the surprisingly jazzy ‘Social Disease’. The synth heavy ‘Raise Your Hand’. The dramatic and urgent ‘I’d Die For You’. And the preppy finisher ‘Wild In The Streets’. All of it jacked up with Jon Bon Jovi’s powerful voice that he just never seems to be able to restrain in any way whatsoever. It’s as much to the album’s credit as it is to its detriment. Which leads me to my problem with this brand of metal: it is energetic, it’s constantly heavy, and it’s appropriately cheesy at times. But as I mentioned above, it can become tiresome as an entire tracklist of these elements float by. Bands like Kiss, Aerosmith, AC/DC, Bon Jovi, Alice Cooper’s brief visit to the genre etc, who craft these stadium anthems, I have always thought had monstrously good songs to pick and choose from, and albums that generally don’t break out into an “essential listening” category. And while it may be unpopular, this is my opinion of ‘Slippery When Wet’. I like this album, but I don’t love it. I could listen to the whole thing maybe on an odd occasion. But I’d prefer to just pick out the standouts for an appearance on one of my many daily playlists. If you like wide, expensive, and bombastic stadium songs - then ‘Slippery When Wet’ supplies it in spades. Even if it’s not totally your thing, the hits are strong enough to carry it at least. 3/5

Peter Gabriel’s So, released in 1986, is often hailed as one of his most accessible and commercially successful records. It marked a shift from the more experimental nature of his earlier solo work into a more pop-oriented sound. While that change worked wonders in terms of radio play and visibility, thanks to hits like “Sledgehammer” and “Big Time”, it also came at the cost of some of the edge and mystery that made Gabriel's previous work so compelling. One of the album’s strongest moments is “Don’t Give Up,” a haunting duet with Kate Bush that blends vulnerability with quiet resilience. It shows Gabriel at his most emotionally sincere, supported by Bush’s ethereal voice. Similarly, “Red Rain” opens the album with a cinematic sweep and emotional weight. Unfortunately, not all of the tracks maintain that level of depth or inventiveness. “Big Time,” while catchy, feels more like a product of its era than a timeless track; heavy on flashy production but light on substance. There’s a sleekness to the album that sometimes works against it. The immaculate production can feel a bit sterile at times, smoothing over the rawness and unpredictability that characterized Gabriel’s earlier work. It’s clear he was reaching for a broader audience, and while he succeeded in doing so, some of the material feels too calculated to leave a lasting emotional impact. That said, "So" isn’t a bad album. It's a well-crafted and often engaging record with a few standout songs, but it doesn’t quite live up to its critical reputation as a masterpiece. For those who prefer the more daring, experimental side of Gabriel, So may feel a bit too streamlined. As a result, it lands as a solid, if slightly overrated entry in his discography; worthy of respect, but not necessarily reverence. 3/5

The Police’s second studio album marks a pretty significant leap forward from their debut, showcasing the band refining their distinctive blend of reggae, punk, and new wave into something truly flavourful. From the opening moments of “Message in a Bottle,” there’s a sense that the band has tapped into something deeper, both musically and emotionally. What stands out most across the album is the unique “flavour” of the sound — a spicy, sun-soaked fusion that feels equal parts Caribbean and British post-punk. It’s this unmistakable sonic identity that makes the record so appealing, even when its edges are a bit rough. The title track, “Reggatta de Blanc,” is a highlight not just for its hypnotic instrumental repetition but for how it distills the band’s chemistry into pure vibe. Sting’s melodic basslines and distinctive vocal phrasing dance around Andy Summers’ sharp, delay-drenched guitar, all while Stewart Copeland’s drumming anchors the rhythm with an agile looseness. The interplay here isn’t just tight, it’s flavourful in a way that invites the listener to sink into the sound, like swaying in humid air with nothing to do but move. There’s also a deeper emotional pull to some of the songwriting that wasn’t as pronounced on “Outlandos d’Amour”. “Bring on the Night” and “Walking on the Moon” both stretch out into moodier territory, and their more spacious arrangements make room for atmosphere to bloom. It’s not just about catchy hooks - although there are plenty - it’s about the texture, the feel. You can practically taste the reverb and delay, and the way Sting leans into his vocals gives the whole thing an edge that’s sultry rather than aggressive. That said, the album isn’t perfect. There are moments when the songwriting feels secondary to the sonic experimentation, and a couple of tracks blur together without leaving a strong impression. Still, even at its less memorable points, “Reggatta de Blanc” retains that essential “flavour”; that sense of something new, exciting, and slightly exotic. In the end, this album earns a 4 star rating from me. Not just for its hits but for its sense of place and identity. It’s an album that sounds like no one else - even The Police themselves would evolve into something slicker and more polished in later years. But here, in this sweet spot of experimentation and raw talent, they crafted something genuinely special. The flavour lingers long after the music stops. 4/5

Fiona Apple’s debut album Tidal is a striking statement from an artist who, even at nineteen, managed to express emotional depth with rare poise and vulnerability. It’s an album drenched in complex, heavy themes: trauma, desire, isolation, defiance. Yet what’s remarkable is how accessible and listenable it all remains. She doesn’t dilute the emotional weight of her lyrics, but she wraps them in elegant, often ethereal arrangements that draw you in instead of pushing you away. There’s something spellbinding about the atmosphere of “Tidal”. The production is lush but never overbearing, allowing Fiona’s husky voice to float atop jazz-tinged pianos and slow-burning rhythms. Tracks like “Shadowboxer” and “Never Is a Promise” have an airy, dreamlike quality that gives the listener space to reflect, while still hitting hard lyrically. That ability to marry intimacy with grandeur -to sound almost weightless while exploring such grounded, personal themes - is where the album really shines. What’s especially admirable is how Fiona manages to convey anger, sadness, and longing in ways that feel both deeply personal and universally resonant. There’s a clarity in her writing that cuts through the metaphor, even when she’s at her most poetic. Songs like “Sleep to Dream” don’t just express emotion — they channel it, making it feel tangible and urgent without becoming melodramatic. That balance is difficult to strike, but she pulls it off with surprising maturity. If the album has a flaw, it’s that its pacing can occasionally drift. A few of the slower tracks blend into each other and slightly undercut the impact of the stronger, more distinct songs. But even then, the album’s cohesive mood and emotional honesty carry it through. Each listen reveals more detail, a testament to the layers Fiona worked into her compositions. 4/5

The Black Album marked a turning point that divided fans of Metallica, but ultimately broadened the band’s legacy. While the hardcore fans may have been jarred by the shift from the thrash-laced chaos of Ride the Lightning or Master of Puppets, there’s something genuinely compelling about the more restrained, deliberate sound the band embraced here. As someone who appreciates their early work - the speed, the ferocity, the rawness - I still find this album’s tighter focus and more measured pacing to be a refreshing and welcome evolution. What stands out most is how confidently the band scales things back without losing their power. Tracks like “Sad But True” and “The Unforgiven” groove instead of gallop, and the slower tempos allow the riffs to breathe and settle in, creating a brooding atmosphere that’s just as heavy in mood as their earlier material was in speed. The production - polished but still punchy - makes every crunch of the guitar and snap of the snare feel deliberate, like every note has been chosen with intent rather than fury. That sense of control is, in its own way, just as intense. Of course, “Enter Sandman” became a cultural monolith, but its overexposure shouldn’t diminish what it represented at the time: Metallica proving they could write a massive, arena-ready anthem without abandoning their edge. And throughout the album, James Hetfield’s vocals carry more emotional weight than ever before. There’s a sense that the band is not just performing but communicating — stepping out from behind the wall of technicality to meet listeners face-to-face. That said, some of the album’s midsection can feel a little samey, and it’s fair to miss the unpredictability of their earlier records. But rather than see this as a compromise, I see The Black Album as a bold recalibration - a chance to explore heaviness not just through speed, but through atmosphere, groove, and dynamic restraint.

The only good thing about this album is that it was short.